Juneteenth, which commemorates the legacy of emancipation, means that many government offices are to close amid celebrations.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Here's some of its history, and how it came to be a national holiday. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law on Jan. 1, 1863, freeing all slaves in the Confederate states — on paper, at least.

It became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021, following the signing of a bill by former President Joe Biden. Long a regional holiday in the South, Juneteenth rose in prominence across the country following protests that swept the world in 2020 over the police killings of George Floyd,