On Monday, Americans will take a moment to honor the late civil rights leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a preacher and advocate for nonviolent social change who risked his life to fight for the rights of Black Americans.
Monday, Jan. 15, is the observance of the national holiday honoring King’s life and legacy. The holiday falls on the third Monday of January, this year on King’s Jan. 15 birthday. He was born in 1929. This month is the 95th anniversary of his birth.
Soon after his assassination in 1968, talk began about setting his birthday aside as a holiday honoring the struggle for civil rights. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983.
As a federal holiday, government offices, bank branches and some businesses will be closed. Here’s what is open and closed on Monday, Jan. 15.
Government
Federal and state courts: Closed
Federal offices: Closed
State offices: Closed
Municipal offices: Closed
Registry of Motor Vehicles: Closed
Libraries: Closed
Public schools: Closed
Finance
The New York Stock Exchange and the Dow Jones: Closed
Banks: Most bank branches will be closed, but please check with your local bank.
Alcohol and recreational drugs
Liquor stores: Open
Cannabis dispensaries: Massachusetts regulators don’t identify specific holidays when cannabis dispensaries must close, according to Tim Caputo, the press secretary for the Cannabis Control Commission. It’s up to the respective cannabis store as to whether they choose to be open or closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Shopping
Retail stores: Most retail stores will be Open, but please check with your local retailer.
Stop and Shop: Open
Auburn Mall: Open
Holyoke Mall: Open
Hadley Mall: Open
Natick Mall: Open
Big Y: Open
Market Basket: Open
Price Rite: Open
Star Market: Open
Walmart: Open
Target: Open
Wegmans: Open
Safeway: Open
Costco: Open
CVS: Open
Walgreens: Open
Aldi: Open
Whole Foods: Open
Trader Joe’s: Open
Parcel
U.S. Post offices: Closed
FedEx: Open
UPS: Closed
Transportation
MBTA: All Commuter Rail lines will operate on a regular weekday schedule, except for the Providence/Stoughton Line, according to a post the T wrote on X, the app formerly known as Twitter.
Worcester RTA: Fixed route buses and paratransit van services will run on a Saturday schedule, according to therta.com.
Merrimack Valley RTA: Will provide service on a Saturday schedule. Routes 21–Andover Shuttle, 12-Lawrence Crosstown and the 26-IRS/Raytheon won’t run on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, according to mvrta.com.
MetroWest RTA: The buses will run on a regular schedule, according to mwrta.com.
Lowell RTA: Will run bus services on a Saturday schedule, according to a post, the company made on X.
