Here’s why mail won’t be delivered to you on January 9th when the US Postal Service closes

WASHINGTON – Mail delivery will be interrupted Thursday, Jan. 9, as the nation observes a day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter.

Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died on December 29 at the age of 100. He lived longer than any president in American history.

President Joe Biden declared Thursday a national day of mourning in honor of the former president and humanitarian. Carter’s formal state funeral will be held in Washington on Thursday.

IN an executive order released on December 30, Biden declared that all federal agencies will be closed on January 9 “as a mark of respect for James Earl Carter, Jr., the 39th President of the United States.”

All federal employees will have days off except for those most important to “national security, defense or other public needs,” Biden’s order said.

The The Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery and retail service Thursday. USPS will provide limited package delivery service that day.

The one-day shutdown of the government, including the US Postal Service, is a tradition with its roots after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 as a way to honor former presidents in their deaths.

American flags displayed at public and military sites globally will be flown at half-mast for 30 days after Carter’s death.

Although a National Day of Mourning is not recognized as an official federal holiday, meaning that many of the businesses typically affected by national celebrations will not be closed, some organizations will be affected by the holiday.

Stock markets will be closed, but many banks will be open. Most public schools will still be open.