A contentious and historic holiday
Columbus Day 2025 is just around the corner, with the typical fiery arguments and debate. Several states have eschewed their celebration of Christopher Columbus in recent times and choose to honour Native American heritage and history in the guise of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The controversy stems from the legacy of Christopher Columbus. The history indicates that Columbus treated the Native people he encountered when he first arrived in the Americas poorly. They cite forced labor, land theft, and the spread of diseases that killed Indigenous peoples. For this reason, many states and cities today mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of, or in addition to, Columbus Day.
Columbus Day was made a federal holiday in 1968, when Congress approved the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which moved a block of holidays to Mondays so that employees would have long weekends. The legislation took effect in 1971, before which Columbus Day is now celebrated on the second Monday in October.
When is Columbus Day in 2025?
Columbus Day will be on Monday, October 13, 2025. The date changes every year, but always the second Monday of October.
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Is Columbus Day a federal holiday?
Yes, Columbus Day is a federal holiday, and all federal offices except essential ones are closed. Federal employees typically get a paid day off, and no mail is processed or normal government business is done.
What will be closed on Columbus Day?
As it is a federal holiday, certain establishments will be closed, such as:
- Federal and state government offices
- The Registry of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- State and federal courts
- Public schools and libraries
- Post offices
- Banks, except that banks will be closed, but ATMs and online banking will be available.
What will be open?
Not all businesses close on Columbus Day. Retail chains, grocery chains, and liquor stores are open, but hours may be limited. Shopping centers and malls have holiday promotions. Package carriers like UPS and FedEx will be in operation, and the stock market will be open. Public transport systems like subway and bus run a holiday or weekend schedule, so commuters would do well to check first for altered schedules.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day: An alternative holiday
Columbus Day remains a federal holiday, but many states and municipalities have substituted it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It is an opportunity to commemorate Native American people, their culture, and their ongoing contributions to the United States.
According to the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, Massachusetts is without official state recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Yet over two dozen cities and towns — Boston and Cambridge among them — have adopted it at the local level.
In the United States, 23 states and Washington, D.C. have substituted Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day or both.
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The states have substituted Columbus Day with:
- Alaska
- Maine
- New Mexico
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- Washington, D.C.
Other nations, such as California, Hawaii, Minnesota, Oregon, and Texas, celebrate the two holidays on the same date. At least more than 130 cities in America and most school districts have shifted their focus to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Innovations in embracing the holiday across the nation
There has been a push to replace Columbus Day on the federal level. In 2023, Congress reintroduced the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act (Senate Bill S.2970 and House Bill H.R.5822) to change the holiday’s name on the federal level. The bill has not moved forward, however, and is still mired in Congress.
Columbus Day remains a day of remembrance and controversy in America. To others, however, it’s a day to honour the pain and resilience of Indigenous peoples.
Whichever you choose to honour, October 13, 2025, will be a day when Americans take a break and look at the past — and choose how the nation prefers to recall it.
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