Because Veterans Day is a federal holiday some organizations give employees the day off to spend it with their families. This includes postal services and couriers.
This year, Veterans Day falls on a Wednesday—it is celebrated on November 11 regardless of the day. However, this wasn’t always the case. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Uniform Holiday Bill, which was signed in June 1968, designated Veterans Day as a national holiday on a Monday, allowing for a three-day weekend for federal employees. The aim of this move was to encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities, and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production.
However, many states didn’t agree with this decision and continued to celebrate Veterans Day on its original date. When the new law came into effect on October 25, 1971, many citizens were left confused. To solve the issue, President Gerald Ford signed a law to return the annual observance of Veterans Day to November 11, starting in 1978.
Are USPS, UPS and FedEx Open on Veterans Day?
According to its holiday calendar, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not be delivering mail on Veterans Day. Post offices will also be closed, so you’ll have to wait until the next day to get your letters and parcels posted.
Other countries celebrate Veterans Day too, but in their own ways: November 11 marks a day of remembrance for countries who fought in WWI, and while it is called different things in different countries, the history is the same. The U.K. calls it Remembrance Day and also observes it on the Sunday closest to November 11, which falls on November 10 in 2019. Many of the countries wear poppies to remember those who gave their lives in war and observe two minutes of silence.
Couriers will be delivering mail and packages on Veterans Day. On its website, UPS said that its Domestic Ground, Air and International, UPS Freight (LTL/FTL), UPS Forwarding (Air and Ocean Freight) and UPS Express Critical services will all be available. However, due to the federal holiday, there will only be a limited number of stores open.
FedEx services are operating on Veterans Day with the exception of FedEx SmartPost. This includes FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Freight, FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Trade Networks, according to the FedEx website.
