What Day Is Juneteenth This Year
Juneteenth falls on June 19 every year. In 2025, the holiday lands on a Saturday, which means the observed federal holiday is Friday, June 19, 2025, per the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The date commemorates the arrival of Union General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, when he announced General Order No. 3, freeing the last enslaved people in Texas. This occurred more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863. Juneteenth became the 12th federal holiday in 2021 after President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. The holiday is also called Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, and Emancipation Day. Because it is a federal holiday, non-essential federal offices close, and many banks and stock exchanges adjust their schedules accordingly.
The shift of the observance to Friday in 2025 affects trading calendars and settlement cycles across U.S. markets. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq typically follow the OPM federal holiday schedule, which means Friday, June 19, 2025, is a market holiday. Settlement cycles for Treasury and corporate bond trades shift by one day, and same-day ACH payments may experience delays. Investors tracking quarterly earnings deadlines, tax payment due dates, or fund NAV calculations should account for the extra non-business day. The holiday does not change the underlying calendar date of June 19, but the observed day off for federal employees and many private-sector workers falls on Friday, June 19, 2025. For real-time updates on market holidays, the NYSE holiday calendar provides the official schedule.
Juneteenth Federal Holiday Status and Closures
Federal and State Observance
Juneteenth is recognized as a federal holiday under 5 U.S.C. 6103, meaning federal non-essential offices close with pay for federal employees. All 50 states and the District of Columbia now recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or day of observance, though not all states give state employees a paid day off. The holiday was first observed as a federal holiday on June 19, 2021, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was designated in 1983. States such as Texas, where the original event took place, have observed it as a paid state holiday since 2021. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management publishes the official federal holiday schedule each year, which determines which agencies close and which essential workers remain on duty.
State-level observance affects court calendars, state offices, schools, and municipal services. Many state courts close on Juneteenth, which can delay filing deadlines and hearing schedules. Public school districts in states that recognize the holiday often close or hold abbreviated sessions. The distinction between a paid state holiday and a day of observance matters for private-sector employers who are not legally required to provide the day off but often do so to align with federal practices. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management provides the authoritative list of federal holidays and their observed dates each year.
How Major Companies and Markets Observe Juneteenth
Stock Market and Banking Closures
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq close on Juneteenth as a designated market holiday. In 2025, because the holiday falls on a Saturday, the NYSE observes the closure on Friday, June 19, 2025, following its standard holiday calendar. Bond markets, including the Treasury and municipal bond markets, also observe the closure, which shifts settlement and clearing timelines by one business day. Major banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America