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Good Friday 2017 Hours: Are Banks Open Today? A Full List Of What’s Open And What’s Closed On April 14

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 10:05 PST, Apr 13, 2017

Good Friday 2017 is here, but folks looking to run some errands before Easter might find that it’s difficult to determine what’s open and what’s closed.

Are banks open on Good Friday? How about the post office?

The answers are varied, as some organizations and businesses choose to close down or operate on limited hours on the Roman Catholic holiday that honors the death of Jesus, while others are open full-time. So if you’re planning to pick up some groceries before Easter or need to get some packages in the mail, here is a handy guide for what’s open and what’s closed on Good Friday 2017?

What’s open on Good Friday?

Good Friday is not a federal holiday, so government offices and locations like libraries will be open on April 14. Many school districts will be off, however.

Those looking to do some last-minute shopping are in luck, with nearly all major retailers open normal hours on April 14. That means shoppers headed to Walmart, Target, Sears, and major grocery store chains will be open like any other day.

The same is true of the United States Postal Service, so those headed to the post office on Good Friday 2017 will be able to get their packages in the mail. Both UPS and FedEx will also be open normal hours.

Banks will also be open on Good Friday, with a few exceptions among smaller or community-based banks. GoBankingRates has a full list of the major banks that will be operating on normal hours for April 14.

They include:

  • Bank of America
  • Capital One Bank
  • Chase Bank
  • Citizens Bank
  • Comerica Bank
  • Fifth Third Bank
  • HSBC Bank
  • Huntington Bank
  • Huntington State Bank
  • KeyBank
  • M&T Bank
  • People’s United Bank
  • PNC Bank
  • SunTrust Bank
  • TD Bank
  • Union Bank
  • U.S. Bank
  • Wells Fargo

Those looking for a bit of retreat will be able to head to the movie theater, which will open normal hours. Most museums will also be open, with many trying to grab some traffic from children and families who have the day off from school and work (though some will actually be closed through the weekend).

What’s closed on Good Friday?

While you will be able to get to almost everywhere you need on Good Friday, there will be some places closing down. There are 11 states that recognize Good Friday as a state holiday, GoBankingRates noted, meaning some municipal services are closed. The states that have listed April 14 as a holiday include Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.

Financial markets will also be closed, MarketWatch noted.

“Typically, markets adhere to the U.S. government’s holiday calendar. However, Good Friday isn’t one of those holidays. In fact, it’s among the few holidays that isn’t both a Wall Street and a federal holiday. Those include Columbus Day and Veterans Day, which are federal holidays but aren’t vacation days for Wall Street investors.”

The report noted that there had been a common misconception that markets closed after a terrible “Black Friday” crash, but there’s actually a more practical reason.

“The more practical reason for the closing may be more obvious,” the report noted. “The holiday usually falls across the observance of Passover, which began on April 10 and is observed through the evening of April 18, and Easter Sunday. That would likely lead to anemic trading volume, even if market participants were able to make wagers on the S&P 500 index SPX, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA.”

Finding a nice drink for Easter might also be difficult. As Philly.com noted, shoppers in some states including New Jersey will find liquor stores to be on limited hours. While they are not required to close early, many will be closed for the day or at least closing early.

Many smaller and locally owned businesses could also be closed on Good Friday 2017, so if you’re making a local trip and aren’t sure whether they’ll be open, it’s best to call ahead and check.

[Featured Image by Mario Tama/Getty Images]

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