Are Banks Closed on Thanksgiving 2021?

Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November every year. This year it’s on Thursday, November 25, 2021. How are you going to celebrate? Many people will do things with family or friends. However, not everyone makes a big deal out of the holiday. You might want to take care of business or do other things instead. So, you might find yourself asking, “are banks closed on Thanksgiving 2021?”

Thanksgiving is on a Thursday

As aforementioned, Thanksgiving is on Thursday every year. Therefore, your bank would normally be open regular weekday hours. However, banks do recognize Thanksgiving as a federal holiday. Therefore, yes, banks are closed on Thanksgiving, even though it’s a Thursday.

What Are Bank Holidays?

Bank holidays, also known as federal holidays, are the few holidays throughout the year that are recognized by the federal government. There are less than one dozen of them. The major ones that easily come to mind are Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Memorial Day and Juneteenth are two additional examples.

During bank holidays, most banks close. So do other government and professional services. Do you find yourself asking, “why are banks closed on Thanksgiving?” Part of the answer is that it’s a federal holiday. Remember, also, that this gives bank workers the day off.

Think of the friendly person behind the counter at your bank. Imagine them spending Thanksgiving with their family. That should help you feel a bit better if you’re frustrated that banks aren’t open on this holiday.

Are Banks Closed on Thanksgiving Eve?

Thanksgiving Eve is not a federal holiday. In fact, most individuals and businesses don’t count it as a holiday at all. However, you may discover that a lot of professional businesses do close their doors a little bit early in recognition of the fact that their workers might want to get home and prep for the holiday. A lot of people also travel for Thanksgiving, so closing early on the day before Thanksgiving gives them the opportunity to do so.

Therefore, banks are open on the day before Thanksgiving. However, some banks do close early on this day. This varies by bank as well by branch location. Credit unions, like banks, close for Thanksgiving and may also close early on the day before Thanksgiving.

Therefore, if you do need to do some in-person banking on Thanksgiving week, then you might want to try to do so on Monday or Tuesday. Alternatively, you may want to get there early on Wednesday. Or at the very least call the bank ahead of time to find out if they close early the day before Thanksgiving.

When Do Banks Re-Open After Thanksgiving?

Nearly all banks re-open for normal business hours on the Friday following Thanksgiving. Therefore, chances are your bank will have regular weekday hours on Friday, November 26, 2021. This gives you the opportunity to get your banking done even if you didn’t get to it earlier in the week.

Some smaller banks and credit unions might make exceptions, though. They may allow their employees to take the entire long weekend for Thanksgiving. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to call in advance to make sure that they’ve re-opened. If they don’t open on Friday, then of course normal banking resumes on the Monday following Thanksgiving.

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Kathryn Vercillo

Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.