US Post Office Holidays 2010

The James A. Farley Post Office Building in New York City post office built in 1912. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

When holidays roll along, a common question that people ask is: Is the post office closed? There is nothing more annoying than running to the post office to find that is is a post office holiday. Even worse, important letters and packages could be delayed if the sender does not know what the post office holiday schedule is.

According to the list, most holidays fall on weekdays, and the post office will not be open on those days. When the holiday falls on a weekend, it is most likely that the holiday is observed on the following Monday (if the holiday is on Sunday) or the Friday before the holiday (if the holiday is on Saturday) according to OPM (US Office of Personnel Management) website.

Many may assume that post office holidays are the exact same as federal government holidays, but this idea is incorrect. Although many postal holidays match the federal government holidays, the United States Postal Service is an independent agency and therefore does not always follow the government issued list of holidays.

Although the post office can remain open on special dates including the day after Christmas and Thanksgiving, it usually closes early on those particular dates.

If a customer has an especially important delivery to make on postal holidays, USPS competitor UPS offers a special shipping method that runs every day of the year named UPS Express Critical. FedEx also provides similar shipping options.

Sources: US Office of Personnel Management, USPS, UPS, FedEx