Joseph Biden — who is the current president of the United States — signed legislation earlier today on the afternoon of Thursday, June 17, 2021 officially commemorating June 19 as an official annual national holiday effective immediately to commemorate Juneteenth, which marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Texas to ensure that slaves were freed and that slavery ended once and for all…
Why You Might Suddenly Have a Day Off Tomorrow and Enjoy a Three-Day Weekend.
…and because June 19 falls on a Saturday this year, the first occurrence of this new federal holiday will officially be observed tomorrow, Friday, June 18, 2021, according to the Office of Personnel Management of the United States — meaning that most federal employees have the day off; and many of them now have 44 paid days off annually.
Employers who are not part of the federal government of the United States may also be offering its employees a day off tomorrow.
#Juneteenth marks the day that President Lincoln’s historic decree reached Texas, two years after it was issued. Now, over 150 years later every American can join us in reaffirming our belief that every person is created equal. Proud to vote for this bill.https://t.co/lU8H7STYdg
— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) June 17, 2021
The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act is the first new official legal federal holiday in the United States since the creation of Martin Luther King Junior Day in January of 1986…
…but unlike Martin Luther King Junior Day — which falls on the third Monday of every year and thus creates a three-day weekend — the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act will only provide a three-day weekend when June 19 falls on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.
Summary
This new holiday seems to counter the wishes of the board of education in Randolph in New Jersey, which proposed taking all school holidays; removing their official names such as Christmas and Memorial Day; and simply calling them Days Off — but I digress.
Speaking of a day off, what do you intend to do tomorrow should you have the day off? Perhaps travel for the weekend?
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
