MW Is the stock market open on Good Friday? Does the post office deliver mail?

By Charles Passy

Bond markets will close early on Thursday. Here's what else you need to know.

The financial world is taking a Good Friday pause.

The two major stock exchanges - the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq - will be closed on Friday in observance of the Christian holiday. The same goes for bond markets, which will also close early on Thursday, known as Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday on the Christian calendar, at 2 p.m. Eastern.

This is a rare instance when markets are closed on a day that is not a federal holiday. So even if you can't trade stocks on the U.S. exchanges, you can still expect to receive your mail - the U.S. Postal Service is open for business as usual. Banks, which typically follow the federal calendar, will generally be open as well.

There's some historical data to suggest the Good Friday pause is good for markets, too.

See here: The day before Good Friday is often a great day for the stock market. Will that be true again this year?

Why are markets closed? As a post on the Nasdaq website explains, the shutdown is "largely due to historical tradition rather than any direct religious mandate...This practice has been in place since at least the late 19th century."

There are some other holiday shutdowns to note. Many schools are closed as part of a spring break. FedEx $(FDX)$ is operating with slightly modified service, though UPS $(UPS)$ is maintaining its regular service.

-Charles Passy

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April 17, 2025 00:01 ET (04:01 GMT)

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