The Meaning of Columbus Day
Today is Columbus Day, which might be one of the most confusing holidays we have in terms of who observes it and what’s open.
The second Monday of October is set aside to celebrate Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas in 1492 in what would later become the Bahamas and even though he really didn’t discover our America Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1937.
However, it is not a public holiday in some states including California, Nevada, Oregon, and Hawaii and South Dakota celebrates the second Monday of October as Native American Day and cities like Minneapolis, Seattle and Berkeley, California re-designated today as Indigenous People Day.
While there will be no mail delivery today, the stock market is open and many banks will be open as well. It appears most schools will be closed, state offices are closed and as far as businesses most will be open.
As a matter of fact less and less give workers Columbus Day off. It’s really a second-tier holiday with only 14% of businesses closed today. Truth be told the holiday is more about Italian heritage then a ship stumbling on a patch of land.
Some quick hitters on this Columbus Day morning:
The Eagles really put it to the Giants last night and it looks like the NFC East will be a two-team race between Philly and the vastly-improved Dallas Cowboys.