Today is Juneteenth, but the state of New Jersey will also celebrate Friday. Here’s why

This year marks the third year that New Jersey will celebrate Juneteenth as an official state holiday. However, while Juneteenth technically combines the words June and nineteenth, the state of New Jersey will be celebrating the holiday on Friday, the 21st.

Here is everything you need to know about Juneteenth in New Jersey.

What does Juneteenth celebrate?

Juneteenth celebrates the day that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 and shared the news that slavery had been abolished, therefore freeing the state’s 250,000 enslaved people. This took place two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, according to History.com.

The following year, freed men in Texas organized the first ever “Jubilee Day” on June 19. The day was celebrated with barbecues, prayers, music and more. Then, according to History, as Black people migrated around the country, the tradition of celebrating Juneteenth went with them.

Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official state holiday in 1979 with several other states following suit in the years since. It is considered by many to be America’s second Independence Day and is typically celebrated on June 19.

Why is New Jersey observing Juneteenth on Friday instead of Wednesday?

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. This means that on Wednesday, June 19, banks, post offices and credit unions will be closed, and USPS will not be delivering mail. Additionally, thousands of people all over the country will have the day off of work.

In 2020, less than one year prior to the federal declaration of the Juneteenth holiday, Murphy signed legislation designating Juneteenth as a state and public holiday. However, instead of celebrating on June 19, the state observes the holiday on the third Friday of June each year.

Since the New Jersey state government made Juneteenth a state holiday before the federal government declared it a national holiday, the state will continue to observe it on the third Friday in June rather than whatever day the 19th falls on.

Therefore, similar to other state holidays, state agencies such as the Motor Vehicle Commission, state courts, and other state employees will be closed or have the day off on Friday.

New Jersey state holidays

Juneteenth is one of 13 total state holidays that New Jersey is scheduled to observe in 2024. The other 12 holidays include:

• New Year’s Day: 1/1
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: 1/15
• Presidents Day: 2/19
• Good Friday: 3/29
• Memorial Day: 5/27
• Independence Day: 7/4
• Labor Day: 9/2
• Columbus Day: 10/14
• Election Day: 11/5
• Veterans Day: 11/11
• Thanksgiving Day: 11/28
• Christmas Day: 12/25

Several other states recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. According to the Pew Research Center, 28 states and the District of Columbia celebrated Juneteenth in 2023 with either all or some state government workers being granted a day off. Most of these states have designated Juneteenth as a permanent state holiday in recent years.