ELKINS — Despite some local confusion over a new presidential executive order that makes Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 federal holidays, the United States Postal Service will still make deliveries on those days, the agency states.

A representative with the United States Postal Service in Elkins confirmed with The Inter-Mountain on Monday that USPS will still be operational and making deliveries on both Dec. 24 and Dec. 26.

“We’ll still be operational,” the representative said. “(People can still expect deliveries) at the moment anyways, pending any (issues), like the package getting sent somewhere else or something.”

According to the USPS website, which does not address the executive order, “All Post Office locations will be closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Regular Post Office hours and mail delivery will resume on the Friday after each holiday.”

The website goes on to say that, on Christmas Eve, local post office locations will be open, mail in blue collection boxes will be picked up by the scheduled collection times and that regular and priority express mail will be delivered.

On Dec. 18, President Donald Trump signed the Executive Order stating that, “All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, the day before and the day following Christmas Day, respectively.”

The Order goes on to state that the heads of executive departments and agencies in the federal government “may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty” on either or both of those two days. The Order explains that employees must report for reasons of national security, defense or other public need.

On Dec. 29, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey issued a similar proclamation for all state employees, granting them “the full day off” on both Dec. 24 and Dec. 26. 

“I am so grateful to the tireless work of our state employees,” Morrisey said in a release regarding the proclamation. “Their commitment to improving the lives of West Virginians inspires me everyday. I hope they are all able to use this time to spend Christmas with their loved ones and enjoy a well deserved break.”

According to the proclamation, the order grants this time off without charge against accrued annual leave. The order only applies  to employees of the State of West Virginia and, according to the proclamation, “does not affect private businesses, local governments or other entities.”