Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring the life and birthday of America’s civil rights movement icon, is January 20, 2025. The federal holiday is observed annually on the third Monday of January. The holiday is observed each year on the third Monday of January due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which former President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law in 1968. The law moved several federal holidays, including Memorial Day, Labor Day and Washington’s Birthday, to Mondays to create long weekends for federal employees. This year the holiday falls on the same day as Inauguration Day.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a civil rights leader who dedicated his life to speaking out against injustice, inequality, poverty and war, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 15, 1929. The federal holiday honors his life and legacy. The holiday is usually celebrated with marches, parades, speeches by civil rights leaders and politicians, volunteering and special programming at museums and other cultural institutions nationwide.
Even though King’s birthday is Jan. 15, the holiday is commemorated on Monday. Ceremonies commemorating King’s birthday and legacy have been held since his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. However, the road to naming a federal holiday in his honor was a long one.
It wasn’t until nearly 20 years after his assassination that Martin Luther King Jr. Day became federally recognized in 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed it into law. The holiday was observed for the first time three years later, in 1986, and celebrated in every state by 2000.
MLK Day is the only federal holiday that is designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer and improve their communities. “Dr. King imagined a different future for America — an America he called the “Beloved Community.” Building the Beloved Community required a key shift in human understanding. It meant looking beyond external differences to see the union of all humankind. It also meant finding a way to deal with our grievances without animosity, in a way that recognized the interconnectedness of all humanity and allowed us to move forward together.
“From the pulpit to the podium to the streets, Dr. King devoted his life to the quest for this Beloved Community in our Nation. His activism and moral authority helped usher in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He gave a voice to the restless spirit of millions yearning for change. He gave us a roadmap to unify, to heal and to sustain the blessings of the Nation to all of its people.” ~ whitehouse.gov
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (and Inauguration Day) 2025 Closures and Interruptions
Like any other federal holiday, you can expect to see some things unavailable on MLK Day this year.
U.S. Postal Service will not be making regular mail deliveries in observance of MLK Day. Post offices will also be closed but Priority Mail Express will still be operational.
FedEx will have modified services on MLK Day, while its Freight, Office, Critical, and Logistics arms will remain open. UPS will be closed for the day, but limited locations and its Express Critical service will be available.
Because MLK Day is a federal holiday, banks will also be closed. Their ATMs and online services should still be accessible, however. Both the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ will have the day off.
Some, but not all, schools close for Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well. Other public offerings, like libraries, Departments of Motor Vehicles, and local government offices also frequently close. Before visiting any of these spaces on Jan. 20, be sure to call ahead or check online to confirm hours.
Your city may also skip garbage and/or recycling pickup on MLK Day
Have the day off and wanted to enjoy it? Most other industries — stores, restaurants, entertainment spaces, parks, gyms, etc. — typically remain open on MLK Day. That includes national parks, where entrance fees will be waived (at those parks that charge for admission) in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s one of seven free entrance days offered by the National Park Service this year.
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This article was originally published on diversitycomm.net.