MLK’s 1968 visit to Paterson church, just days before Memphis
One week before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, he addressed a Baptist congregation in Paterson, N.J. Those who were there tell the story of his visit and the mark it made on their lives.
Michael V. Pettigano, Kevin R. Wexler, Paul Wood, NorthJersey.com
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, shutting down federal offices, banks, and post offices, but is the stock market open or closed on MLK Day 2026.
MLK Day, or the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated the third Monday in January every year, with this year the holiday on January 19. King, who led the charge for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, protesting racial segregation and discrimination in the 1950s, is known for his “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. King’s birthday is Jan. 15, and MLK Jr. Day became a holiday in 1983, when it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. King was assassinated in 1968.
Despite rumors President Donald Trump canceled MLK Day 2026, the president has no power to cancel federal holidays. Under his power, Trump signed executive orders in December 2025 to remove fee-free days at all national parks on MLK Day and Juneteenth.
MLK Jr. Day is on the federal list of holidays, and many places will close, or stay open, on Jan. 19. Here’s what to know about the stock market hours and holidays.
Is the stock market closed on MLK Day 2026?
Yes, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq will close on MLK Jr. Day 2026, a federal holiday on Monday, Jan. 19, 2025. The U.S. stock market opens 9:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2026, and the Nasdaq and NYSE close at 4 p.m. ET.
List of stock market holidays 2026
The Nasdaq and NYSE markets observe 10 holidays in 2026, and the stock markets close early the day before and the day after holidays. The stock market holidays this year are:
- New Year’s Day 2026 (Jan. 1)
- MLK Jr. Day 2026 (Jan. 19)
- Presidents Day 2026 (Feb. 16)
- Good Friday (April 3)
- Memorial Day 2026 (May 25)
- Juneteenth (June 19)
- Independence Day (July 4, observed Friday, July 3, 2026)
- Labor Day 2026 (Sept. 7)
- Thanksgiving Day 2026 (Nov. 26)
- Christmas Day 2026 (Dec. 25)
The NYSE holidays and early closures can be found on their holiday calendar. Check here for Nasdaq’s holiday 2026 calendar.
Is the bond market open Martin Luther King Jr Day?
The U.S. bond market is closed on MLK Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. The bond market follows a slightly different market holiday calendar than the stock market. While electronic trading platforms will be active and you can trade bonds on the futures market, physical trading floors and OTC, or over-the-counter operations will close.
Commodity futures markets, like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), operate on modified schedules on MLK Jr. Day. Check the schedules as some commodities may observe early closures.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.