# why is post office closed on Friday? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606 "2009-04-10T03:31:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/1 "2009-04-10T03:31:54Z")
I just saw on the local news that there will be no mail delivery tomorrow. Why? I’ve never been anywhere that “good friday” was considered an actual holiday. I thought these things were determined by federal law. I’m in deep south Texas on the border. When I lived on the border in El Paso, this was not considered an actual holiday. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![mattomic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@mattomic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattomic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/2 "2009-04-10T03:49:40Z")
In my neck of the woods (Canada, very different from your neck) we’ve always had Good Friday as a statutory holiday, plus Easter Monday as a federal employee holiday. Wikipedia backs up your thinking, though: “In the United States, Good Friday is not a government holiday. Private businesses and certain other institutions may close or not for Good Friday, according to their preferences. The stock market is closed on Good Friday. However, the vast majority of businesses are open on Good Friday. Some public schools may incidentally be closed on Good Friday because of the proximity of secular “spring break” holidays. The postal service operates, and banks regulated by the federal government do close for Good Friday.” But from a cynic’s perspective, I guess any excuse to give a day off to an army of federal employees in this economy is a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/3 "2009-04-10T04:24:48Z")
I have not been able to confirm this with my quick Google search. I found a few lists of government and postal holidays for 2009, and Good Friday was not listed on any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/4 "2009-04-10T06:19:50Z")
> [@mattomic](#): > > But from a cynic’s perspective, I guess any excuse to give a day off to an army of federal employees in this economy is a good one. I agree with this. I know the day after Thanksgiving the Chicago Public Library was closed for Friday AND Saturday and I asked why, the librarian said “Chicago is looking for ways to cut down the costs, so they are closing the library and not paying us.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/5 "2009-04-10T06:35:02Z")
I think the Stock Exchange is closed Friday too. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/6 "2009-04-10T07:54:26Z")
According to the [U. S. Postal Service website,](http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/calendar/federalholidays.htm) these are the official U. S. postal holidays for 2009: ``` * Thursday, January 1 - New Year's Day * Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday * Monday, February 16 - Washington's Birthday (President's Day) * Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day * Saturday, July 4 - Independence Day * Monday, September 7 - Labor Day * Monday, October 12 - Columbus Day * Wednesday, November 11 - Veterans Day * Thursday, November 26 - Thanksgiving Day * Friday, December 25 - Christmas Day * Friday, January 1, 2010 - New Year's Day ``` Good Friday is not listed, so for the Post Office, Friday should be business as usual. I don’t know why your local news would report it otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/7 "2009-04-10T10:18:02Z")
My husband is a USPS letter carrier and is delivering mail today. Is it possible that just your branch office is closed for some (other) reason? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/8 "2009-04-10T13:03:36Z")
Wisconsin used to have Good Friday as an official state holiday, and was sued over it by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Wisconsin lost, and lost two appeals, IIRC, and had to remove it from the list of state holidays. Instead, it gave all state employees an additional personal day of leave to take at their own discretion. A vast improvement, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/9 "2009-04-10T13:04:37Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > My husband is a USPS letter carrier and is delivering mail today. … That’s his story and he’s sticking to it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/10 "2009-04-10T13:58:04Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > I’ve never been anywhere that “good friday” was considered an actual holiday. I’m not trying to stir up trouble or anything like that, but I’m just curious: why the scare quotes? That’s the name of the holiday (federal or not). Do you put scare quotes around St. Patrick’s Day, Labor Day, and Halloween, too? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/11 "2009-04-10T14:05:16Z")
The stock market is closed today and I think they close when the banks close. My company (a Fortune 50 company) is also closed today. (Woohoo!) Kind of odd. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/12 "2009-04-10T14:06:09Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > I just saw on the local news that there will be no mail delivery tomorrow. Imagine that, a local news got something wrong. What are the odds? ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/13 "2009-04-10T16:49:34Z")
At my company, many of the new hires are quite confused as to why we don’t have off for Good Friday. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/14 "2009-04-10T16:51:09Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > The stock market is closed today and I think they close when the banks close. My company (a Fortune 50 company) is also closed today. (Woohoo!) > > Kind of odd. Nope, the stock market is open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day while banks are closed on those days. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/15 "2009-04-10T16:56:03Z")
My letter carrier came through. He was happy to be here, as we are open and have coffee and a bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/16 "2009-04-10T21:02:27Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > That’s his story and he’s sticking to it. 😛 Mail on a Sunday? I didn’t get the promotion – too many people got their mail! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/17 "2009-04-10T21:42:24Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Mail on a Sunday? Whoops! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-post-office-closed-on-friday/492606/18 "2009-04-10T22:13:14Z")
When I was a federal employee in Houston, the courthouse was open on good friday but my judge gave us the day off. It could be your local postmaster just gave his staff the day off on his own.