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will the post office be open on thanksgiving

Is the Post Office Open on Thanksgiving Day 2018?

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Post office open on Thanksgiving
It wasn’t that long ago that practically every business closed for Thanksgiving Day. Now, some retailers choose to open, creating some level of confusion regarding what is available, especially since Thanksgiving is a federal holiday. In 2018, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 22. If you’re wondering whether the post office will be open, here’s what you need to know.

Is the Post Office Open on Thanksgiving Day?

No, the post office is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Since the post office is run by the federal government, most of the employees get the day off as a paid holiday. Customer service employees are not available. Also, there is no regular mail delivery or pick up.

The only exception is Priority Mail Express. Items mailed through Priority Mail Express are delivered 365 days a year, regardless of any holidays. However, not all locations support Priority Mail Express deliveries, so you’ll want to check with the destination in advance if you need an item delivered on that day.

Additionally, if you have a PO box in an area of the post office that isn’t secured.  You can still check for mail that was placed there previously. Similarly, self-service kiosks, if available, are operational. This includes postage machines in lobbies in unlocked post office buildings. You also have the ability to drop mail into the available slots for sorting after the holiday.

Otherwise, the post office will be open for every usual business day aside from Tuesday, December 25, 2018, when they close to observe Christmas.

What Days Will the Post Office Deliver Mail During the Week of Thanksgiving?

When a holiday falls in the middle of the week, figuring out the mail delivery schedule can be a little difficult. Here is when the post office will be open during Thanksgiving week:

  • Sunday, November 18 – Closed
  • Monday, November 19 – Open. Regular business hours and mail service.
  • Tuesday, November 20 – Open. Regular business hours and mail service.
  • Wednesday, November 21 – Open. Regular business hours and mail service.
  • Thursday, November 22 – Closed
  • Friday, November 23 – Open. Regular business hours and mail service.
  • Saturday, November 14 – Regular Saturday service.

If you really need to ship something on Thanksgiving Day, you may consider turning to other delivery services. But, are they even open?

Is FedEx Open on Thanksgiving?

FedEx closes on Thanksgiving Day. Regular FedEx service resumes on Friday, November 23, 2018.

Is UPS Open on Thanksgiving?

UPS closes on Thanksgiving Day. However, UPS Express Critical service is available. Otherwise, normal UPS service resumes on the day after Thanksgiving.

Have you ever needed the post office to be open on a federal holiday? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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Is the Post Office Open on Thanksgiving Day 2017?

By 1 Comment

Post office open on Thanksgiving
Everything used to close on Thanksgiving Day, but now some stores open on Thanksgiving Day to get an early start on Black Friday shopping. Being that Thanksgiving is technically a federal holiday, it’s hard to know what is open on Thanksgiving Day.

This year Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, November 23, 2017. The post office is normally open for business on Thursday. Since it’s not clear what is open or closed on holidays now. Many people are asking, “Is the post office open on Thanksgiving Day?”

Is the Post Office Open on Thanksgiving?

Post offices are closed on Thanksgiving Day. The Post Office closes in observance of ten federal holidays. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, is one of the federal holidays that the post office closes to observe. The post office will also be closed for the following holiday in 2017:

Monday, December 25

Although postal employees will not be working, there will be limited services available at your local post office. Customers who rent mailboxes at postal locations will be able to access their post office box as they would on a Sunday. No new mail will be delivered to the mailbox on Thanksgiving Day. Most post offices have automated postage machines in their lobbies where customers can calculate and purchase postage. The lobbies will be open on Thursday to purchase postage from the automated postage machines and drop outgoing mail. Outgoing mail will not be picked up from mailboxes on Thanksgiving Day.

There will be no mail delivery to residences or businesses on Thanksgiving Day, except for Priority Mail Express. Priority Mail Express items are delivered by the post office 365 days a year (yes they even deliver on Christmas Day). Not all service areas are eligible for Priority Mail Express delivery on Sundays and holidays, but delivery is available in most major markets. If you need to ship something with delivery on November 23, check with your post office to make sure that Sunday and holiday delivery is available at the destination.

Thanksgiving Post Office Schedule

Mail delivery service is confusing when a holiday falls in the middle of the week. This is the mail schedule for the week of Thanksgiving Day:

Sunday, November 19 – Closed

Monday, November 20 – Open. Regular business hours and mail service.

Tuesday, November 21 – Open. Regular business hours and mail service.

Wednesday, November 22 – Open. Regular business hours and mail service.

Thursday, November 23 – Closed

Friday, November 24- Open. Regular business hours and mail service.

Saturday, November 25 – Regular Saturday service.

What if you need to ship something on Thanksgiving Day and cannot wait for the post office to open on Thursday? Are there other shipping options?

Is FedEx Open on Thanksgiving?

FedEx is closed on Thanksgiving Day. The company will resume regular pick up and delivery services on Friday, November 24, 2017.

Is UPS Open on Thanksgiving?

Most UPS services will be unavailable on Thanksgiving Day. UPS is closed, but UPS Express Critical service will be available on Thanksgiving Day. UPS will resume normal delivery and pick up service the day after Thanksgiving Day.

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Photo: Doug Brown