Getty Is the post office delivering mail today?
Does Christmas Eve affect mail delivery today? Will mail still be delivered today on December 24, 2021, and will post offices still be open? Here are all the details.
Mail Will Still Be Delivered Today on Christmas Eve 2021
Christmas Eve may not be an official federal holiday this year like it was last year, but it will still serve as one in many ways. This is because it will serve as the official day of observance for Christmas for federal employees, Newsweek reported. Because Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, federal employees will observe Christmas on Friday, December 24, instead.
In other words, even though President Joe Biden didn’t declare Christmas Eve as a federal holiday this year, it’s still being observed as one by federal employers. OPM.gov noted that today is still being treated as a holiday for federal employees, writing: “If a holiday falls on a Saturday, for most Federal employees, the preceding Friday will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).)”
But despite all of this, mail delivery isn’t changing today. Mail is still being delivered on Christmas Eve, USPS noted on its website.
According to USPS’s holiday schedule, the postal service is only closed on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is not on that list.
Last year in 2020, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in mid-December that made Christmas Eve a federal holiday, The New York Post reported at the time. The order read: “All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Thursday, December 24, 2020, the day before Christmas Day.” You can read the full executive order from last year here. However, even though it made Christmas Eve a federal holiday, mail was still delivered on December 24, 2020, too.
USPS Blue Collection Boxes Might Be Picked Up Early
If you’re using a USPS Blue Collection Box whose final pickup time is after 12 p.m., it’s possible that mail will be picked up earlier there today.
The USPS noted: “Mail will be picked up from blue collection boxes on Christmas Eve. Make sure you drop your mail in the collection box before 12 p.m. (noon) on December 24 (even if the final collection time posted on the box is later, as mail may be picked up earlier). Customers who need mail pickups later on December 24 should visit their local Post Office.”
Post Offices Will Be Open, But Some May Close Early & Some May Stay Open Late
Post offices will also be open today, but they may close early in some locations. That’s why you should check with your local post office first to make sure it’s still open if you have to visit in person.
USPS’ website noted: “Christmas hours are posted at each Post Office location. Some locations may have extended hours leading up to the holiday, while others may have limited hours on Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24. Go to Find USPS Locations and enter your ZIP Code to check the Christmas hours for a specific location. Business customers, please check with your Bulk Mail Entry Unit for hours of operation.”
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Source: Heavy
