US to observe federal holiday on June 19. Are stock markets closed that day?

The US Federal Reserve (US Fed) considers Juneteenth a bank holiday. A holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US has been celebrated every 19 June since President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021.

This will be the fourth year that Juneteenth is celebrated widely as a federal holiday, but the holiday itself has been celebrated for more than a century-and-a-half.

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When is Juneteenth 2025?

The Juneteenth holiday is celebrated this year on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, freeing enslaved African Americans in the Confederate states, the order couldn't be enforced in areas still under Confederate control. According to Britannica, it wasn’t until the Civil War ended in April 1865 that Union troops could carry out the proclamation. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the war had ended—and that all enslaved people were now free.

The first Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year and gradually spread across the country. Today, the holiday is observed with prayer services, public speeches, educational activities, family gatherings, and festivals featuring music, dancing, food, and cultural traditions.

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When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?

Though it has long been celebrated in Black communities, Juneteenth became a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed a bill on June 17, 2021. The holiday's history gained more attention during the summer of 2020, after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

Will US stock market remain open on Juneteenth?

US stock exchanges observe a set of predetermined holidays during which they remain closed. These closures typically align with federal holidays, affecting major exchanges such as the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). If a holiday falls on a weekend, the markets may close on the preceding Friday or the following Monday.

Juneteenth, observed on June 19, is a federal holiday in the United States. In recognition of Juneteenth National Independence Day, both the NYSE and Nasdaq will be closed on June 19, as indicated on their official calendars.