It’s the Friday paradox: Every individual Friday seems to take an eternity to arrive, but somehow Good Friday rushed up on your calendar without you even noticing. But now that you know, you should take note, because it’s a big holiday for some and it might interfere with your errands even if you’re not religious or someone makes a big deal out of Easter. So, what’s open Good Friday?
Please note that these closings different greatly from what’s open and closed on Easter Sunday. For a breakdown of that separate holiday, check back with Metro US for a full article on what you can expect from banks, stores, mail delivery and more.
Are banks closed Good Friday?
Good news on Good Friday if you need to hit the bank: Banks are open and running normal hours on the holiday. That also means if you get paid on the 30th of each month, your payment won’t be delayed because of a holiday weekend schedule. Since Good Friday is not a federal holiday, your bank should be open even if you cannot find their list of official holidays online.
To confirm, in case you’re worried about your specific bank, Wells Fargo is open Good Friday (use their ATM and bank locator tool to check for exceptions if you’re really worried). TD Bank will also be open on Good Friday. Call ahead to your local branch if you’re unsure and plan to head to a location in person to guarantee you won’t be wasting a trip.
Are schools closed on Good Friday?
Public schools will all be open and going through their normal class schedules on Good Friday, but if your children attend a private school with a religious affiliation, you’ll need to call the administration and ask for specifics.
What about mail delivery on Good Friday?
More good news for those of you who have a long list of errands. Since Good Friday isn’t a federal holiday, it does not affect the schedule of the United States Postal Service (USPS), so mail delivery will proceed as usual and you can stop by a location as you normally would.
Private companies are in the same boat. UPS doesn’t recognize Good Friday and will therefore be accepting and delivering packages on March 30. FedEx, likewise, does not take the day off for Good Friday, so expect your packages to arrive as if it weren’t a holiday if sent through this courier.
So what’s open Good Friday, and what’s closed? Any stores?
Some smaller stores might take the day off in recognition of the Christian holiday, although larger stores like grocery store chains and big box stores should be open. Be sure to check the website of any store you suspect might be closed or call the location you wanted to visit. For instance, despite their openly religious business practices, Hobby Lobby was open for business of Good Friday in 2017. The company has yet to post their holiday hours for 2018.
Before you ask, we already checked about Chick-fil-A, also known for their religious business foundation. Chick-fil-A will also be open on Good Friday, although if you’re very religious, you probably have to eat fish rather than the sandwiches they’re known for.
One thing that’s absolutely closed Good Friday
One thing isn’t up for question when it comes to what’s closed Good Friday: All major U.S. financial markets will be closed for Good Friday. It’s one of just nine holidays that shuts down the NYSE every year.
