Easter Monday

Is the Post Office Open on Easter 2016?

April 2, 2015 By Jeffrey Strain 14 Comments

With Easter just around the corner, those who use the post office on a regular basis for work or other reasons begin to wonder about the post office holiday schedule. The post office follows the federal holiday schedule, but Easter isn’t a federal holiday. Most people who use the post office know the post office will be closed on Easter Sunday, but they aren’t quite as sure about Good Friday, Easter Saturday or Easter Monday. For those who need to send out packages and letters, or are expecting them, knowing when the United States Postal Service (USPS) branches will be open can be important.

Is the post office open on Good Friday?

Yes, the post office is open on Good Friday. Your local post office will be open the Friday before Easter (Good Friday) during its normal business hours. Mail will be delivered as usual on March 25, and the post office will be picking up letters and packages as well.

Is the post office open on Easter Saturday?

Maybe. If your local post office is usually open on Saturdays, it will be open on Easter Saturday. Depending on where you live, some post office branches aren’t open on Saturday for business. If this is the case with your local branch, it will be closed on Easter Saturday. If your local branch is open on Saturdays, then it should also be open on March 26, 2016. Be sure to note that many of the post office branches open on Saturday have limited hours as compared to weekdays. Even if your branch isn’t open, mail will be delivered as usual.

Is the post office open on Easter Sunday?

No, the post office is closed on Easter Sunday. Most post offices are closed on Sunday, and Easter Sunday is no exception. Local USPS branches will be closed for the day and there won’t be any regular mail delivery or pick-up on March 27, 2016.

Is the post office open on Easter Monday?

Yes, the post office is open on Easter Monday. While Easter Monday is celebrated as a holiday in many countries around the world, it’s not in the US. The post office will be open for its regular Monday hours on March 28, and there will be regular mail pick-up and delivery to homes and businesses.

It’s important to note that even when USPS branches are closed, you still may be able to get some of the basic postal services at the office. Even when the branch is closed, there are places where you can drop off letters and packages. More and more branches have self-serve postal rate machines where you can weigh your package and purchase the appropriate postage for it without the help of a postal employee. Post office boxes are often accessible even during hours the branch is closed to regular business. What services are available at each local post office when closed varies, but you can contact your local USPS branch to find out.

When it comes to delivering mail, the post office isn’t the only option. Your can also send and receive mail through private companies such as United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (FedEx). Below are the Easter weekend holiday schedules for both companies:

Is UPS Open on Easter?

Yes, the United Parcel Service is open on Easter. UPS recognizes both Passover and Easter (March 27) as holidays but doesn’t observe either of them. They will deliver mail on their regular schedule throughout the Easter Weekend.

Is Fed Ex Open on Easter?

No, Federal Express is closed on Easter. While FedEx is open on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday, they are closed on Easter Sunday. This includes FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Home Delivery.

(Photo courtesy of Steven Depolo)

All Banks Closed Easter, All Banks Open Monday

April 19, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain Leave a Comment

This articles has been updated for Easter 2016

With Easter upon us, you might have some time to run some of the errands that you have on your list of things to do. If you are planning to do any banking that needs to be done at the institution, you are going to need to wait until Monday to do it. If you are wondering if banks and credit unions are open or closed on Easter Sunday, the answer is that they are all closed (you may also want to know the stores that are open on Easter). This include TD Bank which is usually open on most Sundays. Having the credit unions and banks closed shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Most of these financial institutions are closed Sundays as part of their regular business hours, and they are simply following their regular weekly business hours. The following banks will all be closed on Easter:

Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016

JP Morgan Chase: Closed
Bank of America: Closed
Citibank: Closed
Wells Fargo: Closed
US Bank: Closed
HSBC: Closed
Capital One: Closed
PNC Financial Bank: Closed
TD Bank: Closed
BB&T (Branch Banking & Trust): Closed
SunTrust: Closed

The day after Easter, March 28, is known as Easter Monday This is a Christian holiday in many parts of the world, but it isn’t a popular holiday in the US. Some schools in Texas and Maryland have both Good Friday and Easter Monday off. Many other schools around the nations end up having Easter Monday off as a school holiday because it happens to be part of their Spring Break vacation.

While most people understand that banks and credit unions aren’t open on Easter Sunday, they may wonder, “Are banks and credit unions open or closed on Easter Monday?” The good news is that all the following major banks will be open with their regular business hours on Monday, March 28.

Easter Monday, March 28, 2016

JP Morgan Chase: Open
Bank of America: Open
Citibank: Open
Wells Fargo: Open
US Bank: Open
HSBC: Open
Capital One: Open
PNC Financial Bank: Open
TD Bank: Open
BB&T (Branch Banking & Trust): Open
SunTrust: Open

For those who bank at a credit union, the vast majority should be also open for Easter Monday adhering to their regular business hours. If you happen to live in a part of the US which does celebrate this holiday, it would be worth your while to call your credit union to make sure that it will be open on Monday.

Since all banks and credit unions will be open during their regular hours, there shouldn’t be any issues for most customers due to the Easter holiday. For those who were hoping to do banking on Easter Sunday, there still are a couple of options to get transactions done. ATMs will still be working on Sunday, and it’s possible to complete many basic banking transactions through them. Customers should also be able to do many basic financial transactions with online banking. It’s important to remember that if you complete these transaction when the financial branch is closed, it might take until the next business day when the bank or credit union is open for the transaction to complete.

(Photo courtesy of Vinoth Chandar)

What Stores are Open and Closed on Easter Sunday 2016?

April 18, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain 34 Comments

One of the worst things that can happen when you want to go to a store is to arrive to find that the store is closed. This situation often happens when there is a holiday, and the store you plan to visit has closed for the holiday. With Easter Sunday just around the corner (March 27, 2016), many people want to know whether their favorite stores are going to be open or not. Below is a list of what is and isn’t open on Easter Sunday.

Walmart

Yes, Walmart is open Easter. If you are looking to buy last-minute Easter supplies or have some unexpected purchases that you need to make, you can go to your local Walmart and it will be open.

Target

No, Target is closed Easter. There is quite a bit of confusion each year as to whether or not Target stores will be open or closed on Easter Sunday. Many sources on the Internet say Target will be open, but this isn’t true. Target stores stay closed on Easter.

Costco

No, Costco is closed Easter. Easter Sunday is one of seven holidays that Costco closes for the day. If you need to do some shopping at Costco, make sure that you do it on Saturday since it will be closed on Sunday. Costco will be open on Easter Monday.

Grocery Stores

Yes, most grocery stores are open Easter. This is especially true of the national chain grocery stores. Most Safeway and Kroger grocery stores should be open, although Publix grocery stores will be closed. If you do the majority of your grocery shopping at a local, independently owned grocery store, your best bet is to look online at their website or give them a call to confirm what their hours will be, and if they are open on Easter.

Drug Stores

Yes, most drug stores are open Easter. The three big drugstore chains (CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aide) will all be open on March 27. Local and independently owned drugstores may or may not be open, so it’s best to call them directly to find out if they are open, and what their hours are if they are.

Restaurants

It Varies. There is no set standard on whether a restaurant will be open or not on Easter. If you plan to go out to eat on Easter, your best bet is to call the restaurant ahead of time to make sure that they will be open, and what their opening hours will be.

Gas Stations

Yes, most gas stations are open Easter. While there may be a few exceptions to this rule, the vast majority of gas stations will keep their normal Sunday hours on March 27. If your regular gas station happens to be closed, there should be plenty of others in the area where you will be able to fill up your tank with gas.

Banks, Credit Unions and Post Offices

No, banks, credit unions and post offices are closed Easter. Even TD bank which is usually open on Sundays won’t be open on Easter. The reason that most banks are closed is not because of the Easter holiday, but because they are closed on most Sundays. Banks, credit unions and post offices will be open on Easter Monday. ATMs and online websites for banks and credit unions can be accessed, and many banking transactions can be done through those even though the banks and credit unions are closed.

(Photo courtesy of Praktyczny Przewodnik)