• It’s one of 10 official federal holidays, which means federal workers get the day off
• Because federal offices will be closed, so will banks and the bond markets that trade in U.S. government debt
• However, some banks will stay opened
• The U.S. Postal Service will be closed
• FedEx and UPS are open
• U.S. stock markets will remain open

Native American groups and other critics, citing Columbus’ mistreatment of natives – have advocated changing the holiday to something else. (“Exploration Day” is one suggestion).

• Minneapolis and Seattle, among other localities, celebrate Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day
• In Hawaii, the second Monday in October is known as Discoverers’ Day, though it’s not an official state holiday
• The U.S. Virgin Islands observes Columbus Day but emphasizes Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day – which falls on the same day.
• The Northern Marianas substituted Commonwealth Cultural Day for Columbus Day in 2006.

For the first time this year, Columbus, Ohio will not observe its namesake’s holiday.

Other states and local governments juggle around the date of a Columbus Day holiday so that workers can have a more practical day off from work. For example, the state of Tennessee has a holiday for Columbus Day, but has moved its observance (and the date for state employees to get a day off from work) to the Friday after Thanksgiving. (Thus, state workers in Tennesse get a holiday for “Black Friday.”)

What state governments are closed today and are giving their employees a vacation

• 23 states (plus the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico) give their workers Columbus Day as a paid holiday.
• For other states, Columbus Day may be a paid day off or no different from any regular Monday.