TRENTON — Columbus Day is an official state and federal holiday with a variety of closures for offices, businesses, and schools, but a regular day for others.

All state agencies in New Jersey will be closed on Monday. Most public schools are closed, but many colleges and universities are holding class as normal.

Columbus Day was first celebrated as a federal holiday in 1937, to commemorate the discovery of America by Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus. The Uniform Holiday Act took effect in 1971 and made the holiday officially every second Monday of October.

A movement to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day is gaining momentum. But the gesture to recognize victims of European colonialism also has outraged Italian-Americans. They say eliminating their festival of ethnic pride is culturally insensitive.

Check with your destination to make sure it is open or closed on Monday.

CLOSED:

  • Post offices
  • State and federal courts
  • State offices (including MVC)
  • Many public schools (check your district's schedule)

OPEN:

  • Financial markets
  • Banks (some banks are closed today. Check your institution's schedule)
  • NJ Transit rail operates on a regular schedule. Some buses are running on a holiday schedule.
  • SEPTA is operating trains and buses on a regular schedule
  • PATCO is operating trains and buses on a regular schedule
  • Malls
  • Retail stores
  • FedEx and UPS will make regular pickups and deliveries
  • Most colleges and universities (check your institution's schedule)

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

 

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