Wait, do I actually have work tomorrow? It’s a question thousands of people ask every single October because the answer to Columbus Day is holiday or not depends entirely on where you live and who signs your paycheck. Honestly, it’s a bit of a mess.
We’ve all been there. You pull up to the bank, try to tug the door open, and it doesn't budge. Then you see the little gold-lettered sign: Closed for Columbus Day. But then you drive down the street to the local mall or a tech startup office, and everyone is grinding away like it’s just another Monday. It’s the Schrödinger’s Cat of American holidays. It both exists and doesn't exist at the same time.
The Federal Status vs. Reality
Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way first. Yes, Columbus Day is holiday on the federal level. This started way back in 1937 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed it as such, mostly because of intense lobbying by the Knights of Columbus and Italian-American groups who wanted a win for their community. By 1971, it was moved to the second Monday in October to give federal employees those sweet, sweet three-day weekends.
But here is where it gets weird.
Just because the federal government says it’s a holiday doesn’t mean your state agrees. Think of it like a suggestion that some states just ghosted. Today, only about 16 states and the territory of Puerto Rico still treat it as a paid legal holiday where state offices actually close. If you’re in Florida, you’re likely working. if you’re in Alabama? You might be off. It’s a patchwork quilt of legislation that makes HR departments lose their minds every autumn.
Who actually gets the day off?
If you work for the post office, a federal court, or the Social Security Administration, you’re golden. You’re staying in bed. If you’re a bond trader? The bond markets are closed. But—and this is a big "but"—the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq stay open. They don’t care about 1492. They care about volume.
Public schools are another toss-up. In some districts, Columbus Day is a holiday used for "professional development" (teacher workdays), while in others, the kids are sitting in desks learning algebra. Most private-sector employers—roughly 86% of them according to past SHRM surveys—stay open. Most people are just drinking their Monday coffee and staring at a screen while the mailman takes a nap.
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The Indigenous Peoples’ Day Shift
We can't talk about whether Columbus Day is holiday material without talking about the massive cultural shift happening right now. It's not just a debate; it's a total rebranding. Since 1992, starting in Berkeley, California, there’s been a movement to ditch Christopher Columbus in favor of Indigenous Peoples' Day.
South Dakota was actually the first state to make the switch, calling it Native American Day. Now, you’ve got places like Maine, New Mexico, and Vermont that have officially pivoted. Even President Biden issued a proclamation in 2021 to observe Indigenous Peoples' Day alongside the traditional holiday. It creates this strange double-identity for the day. Some people are celebrating Italian heritage with parades in Manhattan, while others are attending sunrise ceremonies to honor the people who were here long before the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria showed up.
Why the pushback happened
People started reading different history books. That’s the short version. The traditional narrative of "Columbus discovered America" took a massive hit when historians pointed out—quite correctly—that you can't discover a place where millions of people are already living. Then there’s the darker side of the history: the Taino people, the forced labor, the diseases.
For many, celebrating the man felt like celebrating the start of a genocide. This isn't just "woke culture" or whatever buzzword people want to use today; it’s a fundamental disagreement over what we should be putting on our pedestals.
On the flip side, many Italian-American families see the holiday as a symbol of their own acceptance in America. When they first arrived in the late 19th century, they faced brutal discrimination. Columbus was their "in." He was their way of saying, "Hey, we were part of the American story from the very beginning." Taking away the holiday feels, to some, like an attack on their ethnic pride. It’s a high-stakes tug-of-war over a Monday in October.
How Businesses Handle the Confusion
If you’re running a business, deciding if Columbus Day is holiday time for your staff is a strategic move. Most small businesses follow the lead of the banks—if the banks are closed, business slows down anyway, so they might as well close. But in the world of 24/7 e-commerce, a holiday is just another day to run a "Fall Sale."
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Look at the retail sector. Target, Walmart, and Amazon don't close. In fact, they usually ramp up. They know you’re bored at home if you do have the day off, and bored people buy things.
- Banks: Closed (mostly).
- Mail: No residential delivery.
- Trash Pickup: Usually runs as normal, but check your local city site.
- Public Transit: Often runs on a "Saturday" or "Holiday" schedule.
It’s the "sorta-holiday." It lacks the universal commitment of Thanksgiving or Christmas. You don't see people rushing to the airport to get home for Columbus Day dinner. There’s no "Columbus Day Tree." It’s a functional holiday, used for errands and sleeping in.
A Global Perspective (It's not just us)
America isn't the only place dealing with this. In Spain, they celebrate Fiesta Nacional de España. It’s a huge deal with military parades. In many Latin American countries, it’s known as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race), celebrating the heritage that came from the meeting of Europe and the Americas.
But even there, things are changing. In Venezuela, they renamed it Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance). The struggle over how to frame the colonial era is a worldwide phenomenon. Everyone is trying to figure out how to acknowledge the past without glorifying the parts that were, frankly, pretty horrific.
The Practical Side: What You Need to Do
So, how do you navigate this? First, stop assuming. If you have an appointment on that Monday, call and double-check. Don't be the person standing outside a closed dentist's office.
If you're a parent, check the school calendar in August. Don't wait until Sunday night to realize there's no school and you have no childcare. It happens every year.
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Actionable Steps for the Holiday:
Check your state’s official website. States like Alaska, Oregon, and Iowa don't recognize it at all. If you live there, it’s a regular Tuesday-feeling Monday.
If you’re an Italian-American, look for local festivals. Cities like New Orleans and New York still host massive events that are more about cannolis and community than 15th-century navigation.
If you’re interested in the Indigenous Peoples' Day side, look for events hosted by local tribal councils. Many museums and universities hold lectures or cultural performances that offer a much deeper look at history than what we learned in third grade.
Don't expect your Amazon package to arrive if it requires a signature from a government-run facility. Expect delays in anything involving the "official" cogs of the U.S. government.
Basically, the idea that Columbus Day is holiday is a half-truth. It’s a ghost of a holiday for most, a day of protest for some, and a much-needed nap for federal employees. Whether you’re celebrating the "discovery" of the New World or the resilience of the people who were already here, just make sure you know if your local library is open before you drive over there with a stack of overdue books.
The most important thing to remember is that holidays in America are rarely just about the person they’re named after. They’re about us. They’re about who we choose to honor and how we choose to spend our limited time off. Whether you call it Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, or just "that Monday in October," it’s a day that forces us to look at our history—the good, the bad, and the complicated.
Before the day arrives, verify your employer's specific holiday policy in the employee handbook, as many private companies have swapped this holiday for a "floating holiday" or added it to the Thanksgiving break instead. Confirm any scheduled banking transactions or wire transfers 48 hours in advance to avoid delays caused by the Federal Reserve closure. If you are a business owner, clearly communicate your opening hours on Google Business and social media at least a week prior to prevent customer frustration.