TOLEDO, Ohio — In case you forgot, today is Columbus Day, which commemorates the date when Christopher Columbus set foot in the Americas. Columbus Day observed on the second Monday in October in the United States.
Although celebrated unofficially in a number of states as early as the 18th century, Columbus Day wasn't recognized as a federal holiday until it was proclaimed one in 1937 by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
However, not all states observe Columbus Day, because even though it's one of the ten federal holidays, it's not as major as Memorial Day or Labor Day. According to a Pew Research report in 2019, only 21 states offer government workers paid holidays on Oct. 11.
Ohio is one of those states; Michigan is not.
This means there are most likely discrepancies on what places will be open and closed today depending on which state you live in. Federal workers still get a paid day off since it is 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 vaccination clinics today.
Groceries stores will still be open and FedEx and UPS will operate as normal, as well as the stock market. Most schools are also in session on Columbus Day.
This is the first year that the United States will recognize Oct. 11 as Indigenous Peoples' Day, along with Columbus Day. In many states and cities, Columbus Day has been entirely replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day.
According to History.com, controversy over Columbus Day dates back to the 19th century.
Read more about Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day here.