Most state and federal offices are closed today in honor of the Juneteenth Holiday.

Juneteenth is the day we recognize the end of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth is also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, and its roots date back more than 150 years.

The origins of Juneteenth stem from an important date after the Civil War — June 19, 1865 — when the country’s last enslaved people were informed they’d been freed under the Emancipation Proclamation.

Even though the proclamation had passed years before, that day in 1865 is remembered as the effective conclusion to centuries of slavery in America.

Juneteenth is both a state and federally recognized, so most financial institutions are closed today in recognition of the holiday and there will be no U.S. Mail delivery.