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Is Columbus Day a federal holiday? Will schools and banks be open on Oct 13
President Benjamin Harrison started Columbus Day in 1892 in response to the mass lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans the year before.
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Columbus Day, which celebrates Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492, is a federal holiday in the United States. This year, Columbus Day will be observed on October 13. Here is all you should know about this federal holiday, which is also called Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
All about Columbus Day
Columbus Day was founded by President Benjamin Harrison in 1892 in response to the mass lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans in 1891, as per the US Embassy and Consulates in Italy. According to the Library of Congress, the lynching occurred during a time of widespread anti-immigrant and anti-Italian sentiment in the US, following the murder of police chief David Hennessy.
Since Columbus Day is dedicated to the histories, cultures, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples and their ancestors who lived in America before the arrival of the European explorers, it is also referred to as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Services to remain mainly closed on Columbus Day
The US Office of Personnel Management has listed Columbus Day as one of 11 federal holidays. Therefore, federal offices will be closed and federal workers will get a paid day off on Columbus Day. Mail or packages will not be delivered to people on October 13. However, the USPS Priority Mail will remain operational. Meanwhile, FedEx and UPS are expected to operate in a limited capacity on Columbus Day.
Also read: Chase Bank to shut for 24 hours on Columbus Day? Here's the truth
Although bank ATMs and digital banking features will be available, banks and their branches will remain closed on Columbus Day. Similarly, most schools will stay closed on October 13, as per Record-Courier.
Garbage pickup will remain functional in cities like Akron and Cincinnati that do not list Columbus Day as a holiday, as per the outlet.
FAQs:
When is Columbus Day this year?
This year, Columbus Day will be observed on October 13.
When did Christopher Columbus arrive in the Americas?
Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
Who founded Columbus Day?
US President Benjamin Harrison founded Columbus Day in 1892.
Who was Christopher Columbus?
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa, who completed four Spanish-based voyages across the Atlantic Ocean.
