Federal offices, including the U.S. Post Office, will be closed Monday in recognition of the Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day federal holiday. But for most local and state workers, business will continue as usual.
Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day, observed on the second Monday in October, is the only federal holiday that isn’t a Nevada state holiday. That’s because the Silver State celebrates Nevada Day just two weeks from now.
Monday’s federal holiday is both the newest and oldest official holiday on the national calendar. Columbus Day was proclaimed a national holiday in 1934 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to mark Christopher Columbus’ arrival on the Bahamian island of Guanahanà on Oct. 12, 1492. President Biden issued a presidential proclamation in 2021 celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day in conjunction with Columbus Day.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the same date as a simultaneous celebration for America’s indigenous peoples. Of those, five states (South Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, Maine and New Mexico) plus the District of Columbia recognize only Indigenous Peoples’ Day, not Columbus Day.