Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, is Christmas Day, a holiday that many people celebrate by spending time with family and friends. Christmas Day is also a federal holiday. As a result, many people get to enjoy a day off work, and a number of businesses close to make that possible. But if you were hoping to ship an item or pick up a package that ended up at the post office on Christmas Day, you may be wondering, “Is the post office closed for Christmas 2023?” If so, here’s what you should know.
Is the Post Office Closed for Christmas 2023?
Yes, the post office is closed on Christmas Day 2023. The United States Postal Service (USPS) operates local post offices. Since the USPS is a federal government agency, it closes for Christmas because Christmas is a federal holiday.
That means a few things. First, you can’t go into the post office and get help from an employee. That means if you have a package delivery slip and want to exchange it for your parcel, you can’t do that on Christmas. Similarly, if you need an employee to assist with outgoing mail, that service isn’t available on Christmas Day either.
Second, there isn’t any mail pickup or delivery on Christmas Day. If you place mail in your mailbox on Dec. 25, it won’t get picked up until Dec. 26. Similarly, any mail that’s usually brought to your mailbox won’t go out on Christmas; it’ll also wait until the day after.
However, there are a few things you can potentially do on Christmas Day. If you have a post office box in an unsecured part of the building, you can still check it on Dec. 25. You can also drop letters or packages with the correct postage already on them in drop boxes or mailboxes. If your post office has self-service kiosks for postage or stamps, those are usually available, too. Just be aware that any dropped-off outgoing mail won’t be processed until Dec. 26, as that’s the next business day.
Is the Post Office Closed on Christmas Eve 2023?
Usually, the post office doesn’t close specifically for Christmas Eve, as Christmas Eve isn’t a federal holiday. However, in 2023, Christmas Eve is on a Sunday. Since post offices aren’t typically open on Sundays, that means post offices are incidentally closed for the holiday.
Post Office Regular Business Hours
While not all post offices use the same schedule, most are very similar. It’s typical for them to operate Monday through Friday, with most opening between 8:00 am and 9:00 am and closing between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Some – but not all – post offices also have Saturday hours. For those that do, they usually open between 8:00 am and 10:00 am and close between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm.
Post Office Holiday Schedule
In most cases, the post office holiday schedule aligns with the federal holiday calendar. As a result, it’s reasonably easy to anticipate when the post office is open or closed. Since 2023 is almost over, here is a look at the post office holiday schedule for 2024:
- New Year’s Day – Monday, Jan. 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 15
- Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day) – Monday, Feb. 19
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 27
- Juneteenth – Wednesday, June 19
- Independence Day – Thursday, July 4
- Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 2
- Columbus Day – Monday, Oct. 14
- Veterans Day – Monday, Nov. 11
- Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, Nov. 28
- Christmas Day – Wednesday, Dec. 25
Are FedEx and UPS Closed for Christmas 2023?
If you have a package or letter that you need to ship urgently on Christmas Day, you might consider using an alternative to the post office, like FedEx or UPS. However, many of the services provided by those shippers aren’t available on Christmas either.
For FedEx, the only service operating on Christmas is FedEx Custom Critical. That means FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, FedEx Home Delivery, and all of the other services aren’t available on Dec. 25.
The situation is similar with UPS. UPS Domestic Ground, Air, and International are not available on Christmas Day. Similarly, you can’t head to a UPS Store on Dec. 25. However, UPS Express Critical is operating on the holiday.
Ultimately, that means there are very few shipping options on Christmas Day. Fortunately, on Dec. 26, FedEx and UPS – like USPS – will return to their normal business hours.
Do you ever wish that the post office was open on Christmas, or does the closure not impact you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Read More:
- Stay on Your Gift Giving Budget-6 Best Christmas Gifts Under $50
- Top 5 Christmas Toys This Year
- The Countdown to Christmas: 5 Ways to Get Financially Prepared
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Tamila McDonald is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service, including five years as a military financial advisor. After retiring from the Army, she spent eight years as an AFCPE-certified personal financial advisor for wounded warriors and their families. Now she writes about personal finance and benefits programs for numerous financial websites.
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