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What’s Open New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day? Full List Of Holiday Hours For Stores, Restaurants, Banks & Post Office

By Cheryl Phillips
Published on: 10:57 PST, Dec 27, 2015

With just hours to go before we ring in 2016, there’s always some confusion about what’s open and what’s closed on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Whether you are preparing for a New Year’s Eve bash, hoping to take advantage of year-end sales, trying to find out which restaurants are open, or need to get to the bank or post office before the Times Square ball drops, here’s scoop on holiday hours for the long holiday weekend.

New Year’s Eve is not a federal holiday, but New Year’s Day is, so expect all government offices to close for the day on Friday and re-open on Monday, January 4. However, holiday hours vary for banks, the post office and retail stores like Walmart and Target vary on both December 31 and January 1.

Banks: Most major banks, including Chase, Bank of America, Citizens, Citibank, and TD Bank will be open on Thursday. Some branches will closed as early as 3 p.m., so it’s always a good idea to call ahead to find out. According to the Huffington Post, all banks and credit unions will be closed on New Year’s Day, so you will have to use the ATM or your mobile banking app to get cash, make transfers, or check your bank balance until branches open on either Saturday (some banks) or Monday, January 4.

Post Office: The U.S. Post Office will be delivering mail as usual on December 31 and all branches will be open regular business hours. The official USPS website reports that there will be no mail delivery on New Year’s Day and all branch offices will be closed for the holiday.

Government Offices: In addition to banks and the U.S. Postal Service, all federal courts, schools, the stock market, the IRS, and Social Security offices will be open on December 31 but closed on January 1, the first federal holiday of 2016. Most state offices, including the Department of Motor Vehicles and any human services offices (food stamps, cash assistance and medical assistance) will also be closed on Friday.

Retail Stores: Popular retail stores like Walmart and Target, as well as grocery and liquor stores, will be closing early on December 31. Although hours vary by location, expect most malls and retailers to close up shop by 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. If you have a Walmart Super Center nearby, all locations will be open 24 hours a day year ’round except for Christmas.

There’s good news for shoppers who are hoping to score some great deals on clothing and electronics that they didn’t get for Christmas — most retailers will be open for business on Friday, January 1. Check sites like Brads Deals and Retail Me Not for a list of coupons and discounts for the 2016 New Year’s Day sales.

Restaurants: New Year’s Eve is a big night for restaurants, so expect to find most of your favorite dining spots open for business on Thursday night. Some restaurants may offer special holiday menus or free champagne toasts, so it’s always a good idea to check their Facebook page or website for holiday hours and specials.

If you’re out and about on New Year’s Day, you won’t find many restaurants closed. According to Go Banking Rates, dozens of chain restaurants including Golden Corral, Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, and Applebee’s will be open on Friday. Last year, Chiptole closed on New Year’s Day, so check their Twitter feed for updates before you head out to eat.

Supermarkets: If you need food for your New Year’s Eve party, expect to find many grocery stores open on December 31, but closing times may be as early as 6 p.m. Most Kroger stores close at 6 p.m., Stop and Shop stores close at 9 p.m., and Publix will shut their doors at 7 p.m. and re-open on New Year’s Day. Liquor store hours vary from store to store, but if you need more beer, wine and champagne on New Year’s Eve, you may find a few local stores open as late as 10 p.m.

[Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]

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