What's Open on Holidays in Massachusetts, 2026
Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 26) and Christmas Day (Fri, Dec 25) are the two days that close the most: the Trial Court, Boston city offices and libraries, the Federal Reserve and USPS are all closed, and Massachusetts package stores cannot sell alcohol. New Year's Day (Fri, Jan 1, 2027) closes the courts, the Federal Reserve and USPS.
- Thanksgiving: courts, USPS, Federal Reserve and package stores closed
- Christmas Eve: package stores may stay open to 11:30 PM
- Christmas Day: USPS, courts, Boston offices closed
- New Year's Day: USPS, courts and Federal Reserve closed
This guide covers Boston and the towns north of it. Where a chain has not published 2026 holiday hours the table says "Not yet posted" and links the page to check. For T service, see the getting-around guide.
Mail, banks, courts and city offices
These agencies publish a fixed holiday list, so this is the firm part of the day.
| Who | Thanksgiving, Nov 26 | Christmas Eve, Dec 24 | Christmas, Dec 25 | New Year's Day, Jan 1 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS (post offices and mail) | Postal holiday | Not on USPS's holiday list | Postal holiday | Postal holiday | USPS holidays and events |
| Federal Reserve Banks (bank holiday) | Holiday | Not on the Fed's list | Holiday | Holiday | Federal Reserve K.8 holidays observed, 2026-2030 |
| Massachusetts Trial Court (courthouses) | Closed | Not on the closure list | Closed | Closed | Mass.gov Trial Court legal holidays |
| City of Boston offices, libraries, BCYF centers | Closed | Not listed | Closed | Not yet posted | City of Boston holidays |
| Massachusetts RMV | Not yet posted | Not yet posted | Not yet posted | Not yet posted | Mass.gov RMV notices and alerts |
| MBTA service levels | Not yet posted | Not yet posted | Not yet posted | Not yet posted | MBTA holiday service schedules |
| MBTA Charlie Service Center | Closed | Closed (the page also lists a 2 PM early close) | Closed | Closed | MBTA holiday service schedules |
The MBTA says its routes run weekend schedules on most major holidays, and its page lists only holidays with modified service. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are on its "check back" list. The Charlie Service Center also closes at 2 PM the day before Thanksgiving. Individual bank branches set their own hours, so check your bank.
Supermarkets and big-box stores
Chains set holiday hours store by store. Check your own store's page the week before.
| Store | 2026 holiday hours | Where to check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costco | Thanksgiving: Closed (shown on the Dedham warehouse page). Other holidays not listed there yet. | Warehouse locator | Costco Dedham warehouse page |
| Market Basket | Not yet posted for 2026. Its Dec 2025 post: Christmas Eve 6AM to 5PM, all stores closed Christmas Day. | Store locations | Market Basket on X, Dec 21, 2025 |
| Stop & Shop | Not yet posted. Store pages show regular hours only (Medford: 7 AM to 10 PM). | Massachusetts stores | Stop & Shop Medford store page |
| Whole Foods Market | Not yet posted. Store pages show regular hours only (Medford: 8 AM to 9 PM daily). | Store finder | Whole Foods Market Medford store page |
| Roche Bros. | Not yet posted. Thanksgiving dinners and sides can be ordered by 11/22. | rochebros.com | Roche Bros. homepage |
Shaw's, Star Market, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Target, Walmart, BJ's and Hannaford list hours on each store's own page: Shaw's, Star Market, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Target, Walmart, BJ's Wholesale Club and Hannaford.
Pharmacies
Pharmacy counters often keep different hours from the front of the store, so check the pharmacy line for your location.
| Pharmacy | 2026 holiday hours | Where to check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walgreens | Not yet posted. Its holiday hours page lists no store hours. | Holiday hours | Walgreens holiday hours |
| CVS Pharmacy | Check your store's page for holiday hours. | Massachusetts stores | CVS Massachusetts store directory |
Massachusetts blue laws and liquor stores
State law decides which stores may open on holidays and when alcohol can be sold.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday retail | General retail stores may open on Sundays, but that exemption does not apply to any legal holiday. Alcohol is excluded. | M.G.L. c.136 section 6, clause 50 on mass.gov |
| Holidays retail may open | Stores may open on Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July Fourth and Labor Day, but not on Christmas Day if it falls on a Sunday. Christmas 2026 is a Friday. Under the statute, no employee is required to work on those holidays. | M.G.L. c.136 section 16 on mass.gov |
| Other exemptions | Section 6 lists exemptions from the Sunday rules, including the retail sale of drugs and medicines (clause 27) and food prepared by a licensed common victualler (clause 22). | M.G.L. c.136 section 6 on mass.gov |
| Package stores, Thanksgiving and Christmas | Off-premises licensees may not sell or deliver alcohol on Thu, Nov 26 or Fri, Dec 25. | ABCC 2026 legal holidays calendar (copy hosted by the City of Worcester) |
| Package stores, the night before | Off-premises licensees may stay open until 11:30 PM the day before all holidays, including Wed, Nov 25 and Thu, Dec 24. | ABCC 2026 legal holidays calendar (copy hosted by the City of Worcester) |
| Bars and restaurants, Christmas | On-premises licensees may not sell alcohol until noon on Fri, Dec 25. Thanksgiving is not restricted for them. | ABCC 2026 legal holidays calendar (copy hosted by the City of Worcester) |
| New Year's Day | Not yet posted for 2027. The ABCC's 2026 calendar lets all licensees sell on New Year's Day (Thu, Jan 1, 2026). | ABCC 2026 legal holidays calendar (copy hosted by the City of Worcester) |
| Sunday liquor sales | Package stores may sell on Sundays, not before 10 a.m., and a city or town may prohibit Sunday sales by vote. | M.G.L. c.136 section 6, clause 52 on mass.gov |
Common questions
Can I buy beer, wine or liquor in Massachusetts on Thanksgiving?
Not from a package store. The ABCC's 2026 calendar says off-premises licensees may not sell or deliver alcohol on Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26) or Christmas Day (Dec 25). They may stay open until 11:30 PM the night before.
Is there mail delivery on Christmas Eve?
Dec 24 is not on USPS's list of 2026 holidays. USPS lists Thanksgiving (Nov 26) and Christmas Day (Dec 25) for 2026, and New Year's Day (Jan 1) for 2027.
Are Massachusetts courts closed on Christmas Eve?
The Trial Court's 2026 list closes courts on Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26) and Christmas Day (Dec 25). Christmas Eve is not on it.
Sources
Every entry above links to the page it was read from. Each page was checked on November 10, 2026.
- USPS holidays and eventsabout.usps.com · checked Nov 10
- Federal Reserve K.8 holidays observed, 2026-2030federalreserve.gov · checked Nov 10
- Mass.gov Trial Court legal holidaysmass.gov · checked Nov 10
- City of Boston holidaysboston.gov · checked Nov 10
- Mass.gov RMV notices and alertsmass.gov · checked Nov 10
- MBTA holiday service schedulesmbta.com · checked Nov 10
- Costco Dedham warehouse pagecostco.com · checked Nov 10
- Market Basket on X, Dec 21, 2025x.com · checked Nov 10
- Stop & Shop Medford store pagestores.stopandshop.com · checked Nov 10
- Whole Foods Market Medford store pagewholefoodsmarket.com · checked Nov 10
- Roche Bros. homepagerochebros.com · checked Nov 10
- Walgreens holiday hourswalgreens.com · checked Nov 10
- CVS Massachusetts store directorycvs.com · checked Nov 10
- M.G.L. c.136 section 6, clause 50 on mass.govmass.gov · checked Nov 10
- M.G.L. c.136 section 16 on mass.govmass.gov · checked Nov 10
- ABCC 2026 legal holidays calendar (copy hosted by the City of Worcester)worcesterma.gov · checked Nov 10