Martin Luther King Jr. Day, also known as MLK Day, is a federal holiday that commemorates the birthday and impact of the activist and civil rights movement leader.
Although Martin Luther King Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929, his legacy is celebrated each year on the third Monday in January. This year the day will be recognized on Monday, Jan. 18.
Following King’s assassination in 1968, his wife, Coretta Scott King, members of Congress and activists began advocating to have him honored with a federal holiday, History reports. This movement achieved its purpose in 1983 when President Ronald Reagan signed a bill, which created and recognized MLK Day as a federal holiday.
Nowadays when the holiday rolls around, the hours of operation for government services and some businesses tend to change. Check out this list of what will be closed or opened on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2021.
1. Mail services – Mail will not be delivered by USPS on Monday, however, some locations will offer retail lobby service. FedEx and UPS will remain open.
2. Banks – Most banks follow the Federal Reserve holiday schedule and will be closed for business on Monday. Customers can still call client service numbers and use ATMs.
3. Stock market – Stock markets will be closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day but will resume normal trading hours on Tuesday.
4. Drug stores and pharmacies – Drug stores and pharmacies will remain open, but smaller establishments may be closed or have limited hours.
5. Educational institutions – Public and private K-12 schools are typically closed for MLK Day, which means faculty and administrators will not be available.
6. Supermarkets and grocery stores – Grocery stores and supermarkets will be open on the federal holiday, but small businesses may limit their hours.
7. Retailers – Major retailers will remain open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and some businesses even have sales in honor of the federal holiday.
There will also be closures across the country for courts, Social Security offices, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and Veterans Affairs centers. Meanwhile, garbage collection is expected to operate normally and public transits will continue to provide service, potentially on modified schedules.
The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial is pictured during a steady rain in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18, 2015. Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst
