Columbus Day, also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in some states and cities, is approaching, and several sectors of the workforce will have a day off in observance of the federal holiday.
Here’s what to know about the holiday and what’s closed.
When is Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day both fall on Monday, Oct. 13.
What is Columbus Day?
Columbus Day commemorates the voyage and landing of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492.
For the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation and encouraged Americans to celebrate the occasion. President Franklin Roosevelt designated Columbus Day a national holiday in 1934, and it became a federal holiday in 1971.
Columbus Day is celebrated across the country with parades that highlight Italian-American heritage and pride, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
What is Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
Many people have expressed concerns about Columbus Day and have opposed it for decades due to the actions of the Italian explorer upon reaching the Americas, and have pushed for it to be rebranded as Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the history and cultures of Indigenous communities.
In 2021, former President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
In his 2021 proclamation, Biden acknowledged “the painful history of wrongs and atrocities that many European explorers inflicted on Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities,” while also saying the day should be one of reflection on the “courage and contributions of Italian Americans throughout the generations.”
“It is a measure of our greatness as a Nation that we do not seek to bury these shameful episodes of our past — that we face them honestly, we bring them to the light, and we do all we can to address them,” Biden said in his 2021 proclamation.
Around 30 states and Washington, D.C. do not celebrate Columbus Day, according to Renamecolumbusday.org. Around 221 cities have renamed it or replaced it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Gov. Kim Reynolds renamed the holiday in Iowa in 2018.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Oct. 9 celebrating Columbus as “the original American hero” and accusing his critics of slander.
“Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage,” Trump said.
Is the post office open on Columbus Day?
No, retail locations for the U.S. Post Office will be closed in observance of Columbus Day, and there will be no mail delivery to homes or offices.
UPS and FedEx will offer pickup and delivery services on Oct. 13, and their retail locations will remain open, according to both companies’ websites.
Why are banks closed today?
All banks will be closed on the federal holiday or will operate on a federal holiday schedule.
USA TODAY reporters Zac Anderson and Julia Gomez contributed to this report.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Here’s what to know and what’s closed for 2025.
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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