In case you forgot, today is Columbus Day, the anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. Columbus Day is observed on the second Monday in October in the United States. So, this Columbus Day 2021, what’s open, what’s closed on Monday? And how is Columbus Day celebrated?
History Of Columbus Day
In 1492, the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set out for the ocean, but Columbus Day – the anniversary of his discovery of the New World (which he then thought was Asia) – appeared much more recent. It was not until 1792 that a number of cities in the United States planned to celebrate Columbus Day on the 300th anniversary of his setting foot in the Americas.
At that time, the Columbus Society, a secret society that would grow into the powerful Tammany Hall political machine in the next century, presided over the celebration of the holiday in New York. For the Society, the two images of Columbus and Tammany (an idealized Native American figure) symbolize America’s separation from European power and norms.
During the 19th century, Columbus Day became an occasion to celebrate American-Italian culture. Even so, in 1893 Chicago hosted the Universal Columbus Exposition, a hugely popular world fair to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. The first time a state holiday in honor of Columbus was established was in 1905 in Colorado.
In 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt decided to make Columbus Day a national holiday.
But Columbus Day wasn’t widely celebrated in other American countries—or in Christopher Columbus’ home country of Europe—until the 20th century.
Beginning in 1917, an increasing number of Latin American countries celebrated October 12 as “Dia de la Raza” (Day of the Race), an occasion to celebrate the intermingling of peoples. Native American, European, and African.
Mixing dates back to when Columbus first made contact with indigenous peoples whose ancestors discovered the Americas millennia before Columbus.
Columbus Day 2021: What’s open, closed on Columbus Day
Although celebrated informally in some states in the early 18th century, Columbus Day was not recognized as a federal holiday until it was proclaimed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937.
However, not all states celebrate Columbus Day, because although it’s one of the ten federal holidays, it’s not as big as Memorial Day or Labor Day. According to a 2019 Pew Research report, only 21 states offered government employees paid vacations on October 11.
Ohio is one of those states; Michigan is not.
This means there is likely to be a difference in what locations will open and close today depending on the state you live in. Federal workers still get paid leave because it’s a federal holiday, meaning most banks and post offices will be closed.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department will also be closed, meaning there will be no vaccinations available today.
Grocery stores will remain open and FedEx and UPS will operate as normal, as will the stock market. Most schools are also in session on Columbus Day.
This is the first year the United States has recognized October 11 as Indigenous Peoples Day, along with Columbus Day. In many states and cities, Columbus Day has been completely replaced by Indigenous Peoples Day.
Columbus Day 2021: How Is Columbus Day Celebrated?
Columbus Day is celebrated in different ways across the United States and Europe.
United States of America: Columbus Day is celebrated in many ways in America. California and Hawaii did not observe the arrival of Columbus, but they paid homage to the primitive cultures and held a grand feast. In Hawaii, they celebrate it as Discovery Day.
Chile: It’s called Dia De Descubrimiento Entre Dos Mundos (Day of Discovery between Two Worlds). This day has been celebrated on the second Monday of October since 1923 in Chile.
Venezuela: They celebrate it as a day of opposition and call it Dia De La Resistencia Indigena (day of the Indigenous Resistance). A group of Indians calls it the genocide of their culture, heritage, and people. A 100-year-old statue of Columbus was demolished in 2004 to mark the date.
Colombia: The day is called Dia De La Raza in Colombia, it’s like a holiday there. Schools, offices, and federal institutions are open on this day. Students are taught about how America was discovered.
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