Seasonal & Holidays
MLK Day 2020: What's Open, Closed In Stoughton
Some services will be closed for the federal holiday commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.
STOUGHTON, MA — Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, Jan. 20 this year, and a variety of services will be closed in Stoughton. King's birthday is Jan. 15, but the federal holiday celebrating the civil rights leader is observed on the third Monday of January each year.
Here's a breakdown of how the holiday could impact your routine.
- Town Offices: Closed, but regular operations resume on Tuesday
- Schools: Closed
- Library: All branches closed on Sunday and Monday
- Post Offices: Closed
- State Courts: Closed
- Transportation: Commuter Rail is on its regular weekday schedule.
- Trash/recycling: Regular schedule
The history of the MLK holiday in America is a complicated one.
Find out what's happening in Stoughtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Almost immediately after King's assassination in 1968, activists began pushing for a holiday celebrating his Jan. 15 birthday. However, the official national holiday wasn’t signed into law until 1983 by President Ronald Reagan.
The first federal MLK Day was observed on the third Monday of January in 1986, but many states held out. Arizona didn’t recognize the day until 1992, when the state lost its rights to host the Super Bowl after voters in Arizona failed to make the day a paid holiday.
Find out what's happening in Stoughtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The last state to adopt the holiday? New Hampshire, in 1999.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.