Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday: Which Stores Are Open, and Which Are Closed?
Today, Jan. 20, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and it is designed to celebrate the life and times of a dedicated civil rights leader and his contributions to the United States. Some stores and services will be closed in honor of the celebration. Here's what you need to know.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: What's Open, What's Closed
Major U.S. grocery stores and merchants, such as Target, Walmart, and Kroger, will be open on MLK Day. The wholesale stores Sam's Club and Costco will also be open on Monday. Most large restaurant chains will serve food, but be sure to inquire about the hours of operation with nearby establishments.
Specialty services like FedEx Freight, Office, and Custom Critical will continue to run normally despite FedEx Express and Ground Economy having modified delivery service on the holiday. FedEx Office locations are expected to be open, according to USA Today.
On Monday, UPS will be closed for domestic ground, air, and international shipping. UPS Express Critical will be accessible, but there won't be many UPS Store locations open. The USPS will not be delivering mail on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
There will be no trading on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange on MLK Day. Additionally, most banks and financial institutions will be closed today, including Capital One, TD Bank, Bank of America, Citibank, Truist, and Wells Fargo branches. Online banking and ATMs will continue to function normally, though "transactions won’t process until the following day when banks reopen," as reported by TODAY.
Since MLK Day is a federal holiday, the majority of nonessential government services, including city offices, libraries, and the DMV, will be shut down. For further information, be sure to contact your local branches. However, at the National Parks, there will be seven free admission days in 2025, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of them.
A Legendary Civil Rights Leader
Though the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is commonly celebrated on the third Monday of January each year, there was a 15-year battle to make it so after the assassination of the legendary civil rights leader.
According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian, on Nov. 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, making the third Monday in January a federal holiday in honor of the civil rights pioneer. Four days after his killing on April 4, 1968, the first bill to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day was introduced.
Nevertheless, it took 15 years for civil rights campaigners to get the federal government to acknowledge the holiday and another 17 years for all 50 states to do the same. In an effort to inspire all Americans to serve and better their communities, it is currently the only official holiday recognized as a National Day of Service.
The bill to establish a holiday in King's honor languished for years with no congressional support, despite the national enthusiasm sparked by his passing. But it didn't stop Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan, who originally introduced the bill on April 8, 1968, after Coretta Scott King gave her consent. With the cooperation of the Congressional Black Caucus, which Conyers considered valuable, he reintroduced the legislation each year.
The bill was finally put to a vote in the House in 1979, the year that marked the 50th anniversary of King's birth. However, despite a 300,000-signature petition, President Jimmy Carter's support, and Mrs. King's testimonies, the bill was nevertheless defeated by five votes in the House. The opponents, led by Republican Congressman Gene Taylor of Missouri, pointed to customs that deny private citizens the opportunity to have public holidays named in their honor and the expenses of an extra federal holiday.
The way Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed throughout the U.S. varies greatly, even though the federal government recognizes the holiday. Additional holidays are observed in several states besides Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For instance, Wyoming observes "Wyoming Equality Day," while Arizona and New Hampshire commemorate "Civil Rights Day." To celebrate the Jan. 19 birthday of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, other states, such as Alabama and Mississippi, have merged the King holiday with "Robert E. Lee Day." Nonetheless, since early 2000, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been observed in each of the 50 states.