The short answer is yes. Is Columbus Day still a federal holiday? Absolutely. If you work for the federal government or have a mortgage payment due on that Monday in October, you’ll notice the banks are closed and the mail isn't moving. But that’s only half the story.
Honestly, the "holiday" part of it has become a bit of a bureaucratic maze. While the federal government still recognizes the second Monday in October as Columbus Day, individual states, cities, and even your local school district might call it something else entirely. Or they might not celebrate it at all. It’s a weird, fragmented reality where one person has the day off for a federal holiday, while their neighbor across the street is logging into a Zoom call like it’s any other Monday.
The Federal Status: Why Nothing Has "Officially" Changed
Since 1937, the U.S. government has kept this date on the calendar. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the one who first proclaimed it a national holiday, largely thanks to intense lobbying from the Knights of Columbus and Italian-American communities who wanted to see their heritage represented in the American story. Then, in 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act kicked in, ensuring we get that three-day weekend instead of a fixed date.
But here is the thing: Congress hasn't passed a law to "delete" Columbus Day.
To change a federal holiday, you need an act of Congress. That hasn't happened. Instead, we’ve seen a shift in how the Executive Branch handles it. In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to formally issue a proclamation for Indigenous Peoples' Day alongside the traditional Columbus Day proclamation. It was a pivot. A big one. But it didn't legally "replace" the holiday in the U.S. Code.
It's essentially a dual-recognition system now at the federal level.
Think of it as a house with two names on the mailbox. The federal government still uses the name "Columbus Day" for its payroll and holiday schedules, but the cultural weight has shifted. If you’re a federal employee, your pay stub will likely still list the holiday under the traditional name, even as the national conversation moves elsewhere.
The State-Level Rebellion
While the feds are slow to move, states are sprinting. This is where the confusion usually starts. You might live in a state where the holiday doesn't exist anymore.
🔗 Read more: Charlie Kirk Shooting Investigation: What Really Happened at UVU
Take South Dakota. They were way ahead of the curve, renaming the day Native Americans' Day back in 1990. Fast forward to today, and over a dozen states—including Alaska, Oregon, Vermont, and New Mexico—have either officially ditched Columbus Day or adopted Indigenous Peoples' Day as a concurrent or replacement holiday.
Then you have states like Florida or Texas. In many of these places, Columbus Day is still very much on the books, though it’s not always a paid state holiday.
Where the Mail Stops (And Where It Doesn't)
It’s a patchwork.
- The Post Office: Closed. It’s a federal entity.
- The Stock Market: Open. The NYSE and Nasdaq don't close for Columbus Day, even though they close for other federal holidays like Juneteenth or Labor Day.
- Social Security Offices: Closed.
- Your local DMV: This is a toss-up. If your state recognizes the holiday, it’s closed. If not, you’re in luck for that license renewal.
It’s kinda chaotic. You’ve got people in Maine celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day while people in parts of Ohio are lining up for a Columbus Day parade. This regional divide is exactly why people keep asking is Columbus Day still a federal holiday—because their lived experience depends entirely on their zip code.
The Italian-American Connection
You can't talk about this without mentioning the history of Italian immigrants in the U.S. Back in the late 19th century, Italians faced massive discrimination. They were often victims of lynchings—one of the largest mass lynchings in American history happened in New Orleans in 1891, where 11 Italian Americans were murdered.
Columbus Day wasn't just about a guy in a boat.
For these communities, the holiday was a shield. It was a way to say, "We belong here because one of our own 'found' the place." It was a tool for assimilation and civil rights during a time when Italians weren't considered "fully white" by the American establishment. This is why, in cities like Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago, you see such fierce resistance to changing the name. It feels like an erasure of their specific history of struggle.
💡 You might also like: Casualties Vietnam War US: The Raw Numbers and the Stories They Don't Tell You
The Shift to Indigenous Peoples' Day
On the flip side, for Indigenous communities, Columbus Day has always felt like a celebration of the beginning of a genocide. That’s the blunt reality. The movement to rename the holiday started in the late 1970s at a United Nations conference and gained massive steam in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage.
Berkeley, California, was the first city to make the switch.
Since then, it’s been a domino effect. Proponents argue that "discovering" a land already inhabited by millions is a logical fallacy. They want the day to focus on the resilience of Native cultures rather than the explorer who brought colonization in his wake.
Does it actually matter what we call it?
Some people argue it’s just semantics. "It's a day off, who cares?" But symbols matter. They dictate what a nation chooses to honor. By keeping the federal status but allowing local flexibility, the U.S. is currently in a state of "cultural compromise" that arguably pleases nobody.
Critics of the change say we’re erasing history. Supporters of the change say we’re finally telling the whole history.
Legal Realities of Federal Holidays
There is a common misconception that federal holidays are mandatory for everyone. They aren't.
The U.S. government can only dictate holidays for federal employees and the District of Columbia. Private employers? They can do whatever they want. They don't have to give you Columbus Day off, and most don't. Only about 15% of private businesses close for the day.
📖 Related: Carlos De Castro Pretelt: The Army Vet Challenging Arlington's Status Quo
If you're wondering is Columbus Day still a federal holiday because you want to know if you have to work, the answer is probably yes, you have to work. Unless you’re a banker or a postal worker, it’s basically just another Monday with slightly less mail.
The Future of the Holiday
Will it ever be officially removed from the federal list? Probably not anytime soon. The political cost is too high. Politicians don't want to alienate Italian-American voters in key swing states like Pennsylvania or New York.
Instead, we’re likely to see more of what happened with the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. We might just see a new federal holiday added, or a permanent legal "renaming" that acknowledges both perspectives. But for now, the dual-proclamation approach seems to be the path of least resistance for the White House.
It’s messy. It’s American. It’s a holiday that exists in two worlds at once.
What You Should Do on the Second Monday of October
If you’re trying to navigate this day, here’s how to handle the logistical and social landscape:
- Check your banking: While physical branches are closed, online transfers often pause. If you have a bill due, pay it a Friday before to be safe.
- Verify school schedules: Don't just assume your kids have the day off. Many districts have swapped Columbus Day for a teacher "In-Service" day or just regular classes.
- Support local events: Look for what your specific city is doing. Many areas now host Indigenous art markets or Italian heritage festivals that offer a lot more depth than a simple "day off."
- Acknowledge the history: Use the day to read up on both the 15th-century maritime history and the history of the Indigenous nations that were here long before the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria arrived.
The status of the holiday is technically "federal," but its meaning is entirely up to your community. Whether you're calling it Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, or just "that Monday the mail doesn't come," the shift in how we observe it reflects a country still trying to figure out its own origin story.