Entry bubble Federal Holiday Closings

By: Jake | December 10, 2007 | Category: General

If you have business with the federal government that you were planning to take care of on Christmas Eve Day, you may want to avoid some holiday blues and check to see if the federal office will be open.

Last Thursday, President Bush issued an executive order declaring all federal executive branch agencies be closed on Monday, December 24th. The President does state in the order that certain offices and installations of the federal government may remain open where it is deemed necessary in the interest of national security, defense or other public need.

The Santas of the federal government, the U.S. Postal Service, will be making regular deliveries on Christmas Eve Day and delivering Express Mail in most major cities on Christmas Day. Don't expect to mail something on Christmas Eve and have it there on Christmas Day though.

The USPS recommends that all First-Class Mail and Priority Mail be sent by Dec. 20 and that Express Mail be sent by Dec. 22. Mail sent by Parcel Post, the cheapest service, should be in the mail by Dec. 15. You can visit the holiday section of their website for more information.

Since a lot of other federal agencies websites I looked at do not state their holiday hours, but instead link to the Office of Personnel Management's federal holiday calendar,  I emailed some agencies to see if they would be open on Christmas Eve Day.

The Social Security Administration said all of its local offices will be closed. I have not heard from the Internal Revenue Service or Department of State, but will update this blog when I do.

The Federal Citizen Information Center will be closed, which means the National Contact Center phone lines (1-800-FED INFO, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of State Overseas Citizen Services) will all be closed and USA.gov web chat will not be available. Remember that you can find answers 24/7 on any government question you have by search our government information knowledgebase, also known as our FAQs. I will be off Christmas Eve Day, but I will be posting a blog.

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