U.S. Postal Holidays for 2023

by Anytime Mailbox

May 8, 2023 | 4 min read

Everyone looks forward to having some time off to relax and recharge, including your hard-working mail carriers and the USPS staff.

It’s true. Having your mail delivery interrupted by U.S. postal holidays can be inconvenient. Still, if you know when the holidays fall, you can plan and reduce the chance of being caught off guard by unanticipated delays.

Postal Holidays in 2023

The federal government operates the USPS, so it follows a federal holiday structure.

This means that all posts offices will be closed, and all regular postal mail delivery will be suspended on these days in 2023:

January 2nd - New Year’s Day
January 16th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 20th - President’s Day
May 29th - Memorial Day
June 19th - Juneteenth National Independence Day
July 4th - Independence Day
September 4th - Labor Day
October 9th - Columbus Day
November 11th- Veterans Day
November 23rd - Thanksgiving Day
December 25th - Christmas Day

If the holiday falls on a Sunday, it’s observed on the following Monday.

If the holiday lands on a Saturday, the prior Friday is observed.

How To Schedule Your Mail to Avoid Holiday Delays

Knowing holiday dates helps you plan ahead and ensures unanticipated delays don’t catch you off guard.

In addition to being aware of potential holiday delays, remember that USPS mail classes also have different delivery times. It’s crucial to remember delivery times, especially during busy holiday seasons.

Regular Mail (Priority and Priority Mail Express)

If you’re sending a regular card or letter and want to make sure that it arrives quickly, consider sending it using Priority Mail:

It’s guaranteed to arrive within 1-3 business days and includes tracking.
Flat-rate shipping and free pick-up service are also available.
However, if you’re sending mail around a post office holiday and want to guarantee it arrives quickly, consider upgrading to Priority Mail Express.
- For a fee, this method ensures that your mail has a shipping time of 1-2 days, including weekends and holidays.

First-Class Mail

First-Class Mail is the most economical way to send mail and packages, but delivery time is slower than Priority Mail. With First-Class Mail:

Envelopes usually arrive in 1-5 business days, and small packages are delivered between 2-5 business days.
Unlike Priority Mail, First-Class Mail isn’t delivered on holidays, and delivery times vary depending on holiday hours.
- This means you need to allow a few extra days of cushion if you need to mail something during the holiday season or around a federal holiday.

Packages

The USPS has several different methods for sending packages depending on the size, weight, and shipping time that best meets your needs. With packages, keep the following in mind:

More than 50 million packages flow through USPS around the holiday season, so delivery times are often affected by holiday closures or busy times of the year, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Christmas.
The best way to make sure that your packages arrive safely and quickly is by upgrading to Priority Mail Express and paying additional fees. This ensures your package arrives within the next day or two.

FedEx and UPS Do Their Own Thing

Unlike the USPS, companies like FedEx and UPS choose their own holiday schedules for deliveries and retail locations.

UPS

UPS will be closed on four days in 2023 (January 1st, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day):
Even though UPS is only closed for the four days above, deliveries around all holidays may take at least one extra business day to arrive.
Retail locations are also closed on some non-federal holidays, such as Mother’s Day, Good Friday, and Easter.

FedEx

FedEx has a more complicated schedule since it still delivers on many federal holidays, such as Juneteenth or Columbus Day, but with modified services depending on the delivery method.
Since FedEx has several different methods and holiday schedules, it’s best to check online to see if delivery is available when you need it.

Get Access to Your Mail Regardless of Public Holidays

The easiest way to manage your mail around the holidays and in general is with a virtual mailbox. A virtual mailbox gives you the freedom to manage your mail from anywhere at any time, and adding this convenient and affordable tool to your life is simple and straightforward:

The first step to getting a virtual mailbox is to choose a location from the network of more than 1,900 locations in the U.S. and abroad. Plans start at just $5.99 per month.
Once you have your location, compare plans and take into account the features you need for business or personal use.
- Anytime Mailbox offers handy tools like open and scan, shredding, recycling, mail and package forwarding, and unlimited online storage, just to name a few.
With just a few clicks, your virtual mailbox gives you access to your mail 24/7 from your tablet, smartphone, or laptop.
You’ll receive alerts through email, texts, or the app when something’s arrived, so you don’t have to worry about constantly checking your physical mailbox.

With a virtual mailbox, it’s easy to manage your mail and not worry about holiday schedules, confusing timelines, and even porch pirates. You can access your mail from anywhere in the world.

Instead of worrying about how holidays affect your shipping and receiving needs, you can spend your holidays carefree. A virtual mailbox adds convenience, practicality, and peace of mind, making holidays hassle-free and more enjoyable.

Happy Holidays…