As the nation mourns the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, the United States Postal Service will halt operations for the national day of observance.
Following former President Jimmy Carter's death Dec. 29, President Joe Biden declared a National Day of Mourning honoring the humanitarian leader Jan. 9, the day of Carter's funeral in Washington, D.C.
The tradition, which began with a one-day government shutdown following Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865, is one of many ways the United States honors its late presidents. Biden's statement also declared all American flags displayed at public and military sites globally be flown at half-staff for 30 days following Carter's death.
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Though a National Day of Mourning isn't recognized as an official federal holiday, meaning many of the businesses typically affected by national celebrations won't be closed, some organizations will be affected by the day of observance.
Here's what's open and what's closed on the National Day of Mourning this Thursday.
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Will mail be delivered on the National Day of Mourning?
Mail will not be delivered Thursday. In an executive order issued Dec. 30, Biden declared that all federal agencies would be closed Jan. 9 in honor of Carter's funeral, including the United States Postal Service.
All federal employees should be given the day off except for those most important to the country's "national security, defense, or other public need," according to the announcement.
The ruling also applies to all U.S. courts, including the Supreme Court.
Will banks be open on the National Day of Mourning?
Most banks will remain open Thursday because it is not an official federal holiday.
Will the stock market be open on the National Day of Mourning?
In a statement released Dec. 30, New York Stock Exchange Group president Lynn Martin announced that all markets would be closed Jan. 9 out of respect for President Carter.
"Jimmy Carter, with humble roots as a farmer and family man, devoted his life to public service and defending our freedom,” Martin wrote in the statement. “During his noteworthy post-presidential life, President Carter left an enduring legacy of humanitarianism.”
Will schools be open on the National Day of Mourning?
Similar to most banks around the country, most public schools will remain open Thursday because it is not an official federal holiday.
However, in accordance with National Day of Mourning protocol, all organizations affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, including all military schools, will be closed.
