The second Monday each October is both Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day in the United States. While retailers generally stay open and few businesses give employees the day off, it's still a federal holiday. That means if you’re planning to head to the bank or visit a government office on October 13, 2025, you could find your plans thwarted.
Here's what's open and closed on Columbus Day 2025, and a look at the controversy surrounding the holiday.
What is Columbus Day?
Columbus Day is meant to celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492. It became a federal holiday starting in 1971.
Although Columbus is credited for leading the charge of European immigration to North America, he brutalized Native Americans and spread disease and wars across the continent.
That led to a symbolic renaming in 1992: Indigenous People’s Day. Instead than focusing on Columbus, the day celebrates and honors Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It’s not recognized on a federal level, but it is an official holiday in 10 states and dozens of cities, which choose not to honor Columbus Day.
In 2021, Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to issue a proclamation commemorating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, calling it a day on which the country “celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.”
Donald Trump, however, proclaimed earlier this year that he was "bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes," despite the holiday being observed regularly for 50 years. Trump said he was "reinstating Columbus Day under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before." He did not offer details or indicate exactly how he thought the holiday had gone away.
"The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much, Trump wrote. "They tore down his Statues, and put up nothing but 'WOKE,' or even worse, nothing at all!"
Are banks open on Columbus Day?
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, meaning most banks will be closed. One exception is American National Bank, which keeps its branches open. ATM machines and online banking can still be accessed, however.
Will there be any mail delivery on Columbus Day?
The U.S. Postal Service also has the day off, but UPS and FedEx $FDX do not suspend operations on this day. Deliveries will occur and all drop-off locations will have normal hours.
Is the stock market open on Columbus Day?
It is. The New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq $NDAQ, and bond markets are all open and trading. The next scheduled holiday for markets is on Thanksgiving.
Are government offices open on Columbus Day?
Federal offices will be closed. Things are a bit more complicated on the city, state, or county level, however.
City of Chicago offices, for instance, are closed, but Delaware will be open. (The state doesn’t recognize this as a legal holiday.) And many states that observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day do not offer this as a paid holiday.
Which retail and grocery stores are closed on Columbus Day?
Basically none. An occasional small business could be taking the day off, but even that is unlikely. As for major retailers, none shut down for this holiday — and most tend to ignore it altogether.
What makes Columbus Day so controversial?
While Christopher Columbus is credited for opening up the Americas to European colonizers, his brutalization of Native American peoples is well documented, and he brought disease, wars, and more to North America.
Among the things historians have learned about Columbus: He enslaved many Indigenous peoples in the West Indies, beginning on the first day he hit land in 1492. Thousands of enslaved people were sent to Spain to be sold, and others were forced to search for gold in mines. Within 60 years of his landing, there were only a few hundred Taíno people left, compared to the 250,000 who were there when he arrived.
So why do people still celebrate Columbus Day?
Many Italian-Americans view the day with pride, celebrating their heritage. New York City will host the 81st annual Columbus Day parade on Fifth Ave. this year, the nation’s largest celebration of the day. Another, which observes its 43rd year, will take place in Brooklyn.