Why are Alabama state offices closed today?

If you have business to conduct with the state of Alabama today, you will need to hold off until tomorrow. State offices and courts are closed in observance of a state holiday.

Why is today a holiday?

Monday, June 1, marks the observance of Jefferson Davis’s Birthday in Alabama. The state commemorates the birth of the former Confederate president—who was born on June 3, 1808—on the first Monday in June each year.

Who is open and who is closed?

While state-level offices remain shuttered today, it is business as usual for other government sectors. Federal, county, and city offices remain open, and the U.S. Postal Service will continue to run as normal.

A brief history of Jefferson Davis

Though Alabama sets aside this day for the holiday, Davis was not an Alabama native. Born in Kentucky and raised primarily in Mississippi, Davis spent only a few months in Alabama. He was elected president of the Confederacy in Montgomery on Feb. 9, 1861, remaining there until the capital shifted to Richmond, Virginia, that May.

Following the Civil War, Davis was imprisoned in Virginia until 1867. He eventually passed away in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Dec. 6, 1889, at the age of 81.

Confederate-related holidays in Alabama

According to 205focus.com, this is one of three Confederate-related holidays recognized by the state:

• Robert E. Lee’s Birthday: Celebrated on the third Monday in January alongside Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• Confederate Memorial Day: Observed on the fourth Monday in April.
• Jefferson Davis’s Birthday: Observed on the first Monday in June.