Town offices and schools across the Tri-Town will be closed Monday, June 20 in observance of Juneteenth.

The holiday itself takes place on Sunday, June 19, and is an annual celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Originating in Galveston, Texas, the observance has been celebrated annually in various parts of the United States since 1865.

Juneteenth represents the official anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 announcement of General Order Number 3, which proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Texas, the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a law in July 2020 to make Juneteenth a state holiday to recognize “the continued need to ensure racial freedom and equality.”

This is the first year it is recognized across the nation. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, acknowledging June 19 as a federal holiday.

Because the day is a federal holiday, post offices will be closed and there will be no regular mail delivery. Many banks are also closed.

While all town offices in Mattapoisett, Marion, and Rochester will be closed, waste management and pick-up will continue as scheduled.