Columbus Day

Columbus Day History

Columbus Day is the celebration of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Americas on October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who discovered the Americas for the Spanish King in 1492. King Ferdinand of Spain sponsored the expedition west in the hopes of sailing to India. In August of 1492, Columbus set off into the Atlantic with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Two months later he would set foot on the Bahamas and establish settlements on Hispaniola Island, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Upon his return to Spain, he spoke of gold in the New World and thus the Americas were opened up for European colonization.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared October 12th every year as Columbus Day. In the US, Columbus Day is celebrated by all US states except for Hawaii, South Dakota, and Alaska. Columbus Day occurs annually on the second Monday of October.

Top 10 Facts for Columbus Day in 2026

• The 2026 observance of Columbus Day falls on Monday, October 12, a date that coincidentally aligns with the actual calendar anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s 1492 arrival in the Americas.
• Federal government offices, including post offices and the bond market, are closed in observance of the holiday, while the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq typically remain open for trading.
• In many states and cities, this day is increasingly marked as Indigenous Peoples' Day, serving as a platform to honor Native American history, resilience, and the cultures that existed in the Americas prior to European contact.
• The debate between observing Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day remains a prominent cultural touchpoint, with some regions choosing to celebrate both, others opting for one or the other, and some hosting events that bridge both perspectives.
• Historically, the holiday was established to celebrate Italian American heritage and pride, with the Knights of Columbus playing a key role in lobbying for its federal recognition in 1937.
• While Columbus is often credited with 'discovering' the New World, historical consensus recognizes that Viking explorers reached North America approximately 500 years earlier, landing in present-day Newfoundland.
• The current federal observation date is dictated by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which sought to standardize certain federal holidays on Mondays to create predictable three-day weekends for the workforce.
• Despite the federal holiday designation, school districts and private businesses frequently operate on their own schedules, meaning closures are not universal across the United States.
• The artistic depiction of the explorer’s landing, such as in the 1862 painting First Landing of Columbus on the Shores of the New World by Dióscoro Puebla, has long influenced the popular iconography surrounding the day.
• Public sentiment toward the holiday continues to evolve, reflecting broader national discussions about historical accountability, the impacts of colonization, and the importance of inclusive cultural representation.

In the News and Trending in the US for Columbus Day

Top things to do in the US for Columbus Day

• Eat some good Italian food.
• Watch a parade.
• Attend a Columbus Day Parade. The parade in New York City is one of the largest.
• Visit the Library of Congress's online exhibit 1492: An Ongoing Voyage.
• Host a scavenger hunt for the neighborhood kids and let them become Explorers for the afternoon.