Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 25 this year. In observance of the holiday, many businesses and federal institutions are closed. If you’re anticipating a package delivery or have something to ship, you may be wondering how Memorial Day impacts FedEx and Amazon delivery services.
According to FedEx’s 2020 Holiday Schedule, FedEx delivery is NOT running on Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day.
The only delivery service through FedEx that is listed as open for May 25 is Custom Critical; Office is running with modified hours.
Do not anticipate your Amazon packages to be delivered on May 25, either. Since USPS, FedEx, and UPS are all closed in observance of Memorial Day (and many Amazon packages are delivered through those carriers), Amazon considers Memorial Day a shipping holiday.
The delivery schedules resume to normal after Memorial Day weekend, beginning on Tuesday, May 26.
Memorial Day Is Considered a Federal Holiday
In the United States, Memorial Day is one of 10 federal holidays. The other federal holidays are New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
According to History.com, Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971, though it was observed in the United States as early as 1865, following the Civil War. The holiday was and continues to be observed as a day to remember and honor the fallen soldiers who lost their lives defending their country.
On this day, you may go to a memorial service or attend a parade or other public events. Whatever way you choose to celebrate Memorial Day, a celebration would not be complete without the presentation of challenge coins. For those who are looking for Memorial Day Gifts, the custom coins which carry sentimental value would be great gifts to descendants of the fallen soldiers, veterans, or other service members. The coins are given to an individual in order to confirm their membership in a group or organization.
FedEx & Amazon Workers Went on Strike Earlier This Month in Response to Their COVID-19 Working Conditions
Earlier this month, on May 1, workers from major companies including Amazon, FedEx, and Walmart organized a strike in opposition of their working conditions during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to The Intercept, the demonstration was against the fact that those major corporations were heavily profiting during the pandemic at the expense of their workers’ health and safety.
Whole Foods employee Daniel Steinbrook said “We are acting in conjunction with workers at Amazon, Target, Instacart and other companies for International Worker’s Day to show solidarity with other essential workers in our struggle for better protections and benefits in the pandemic.”
In response to the strike, a representative for Amazon said “While we respect people’s right to express themselves, we object to the irresponsible actions of labor groups in spreading misinformation and making false claims about Amazon … The statements made are not supported by facts or representative of the majority of the 500,000 Amazon operations employees in the U.S. who are showing up to work.”
In light of COVID-19, FedEx released a statement on their website about how they’re protecting their employees while continuing to serve their customers. They assured concerned FedEx users “In these uncertain times, it’s even more important for businesses like yours to stay in business. We’re here to help.
We still have planes in the air; we still have trucks on the road; and we still have locations open to hold your packages. We’re continuing to operate and deliver for you and your customers everywhere local conditions and restrictions allow.”
