Italian-American heritage day or Indigenous Peoples' Day? When is it and what's closed?

Juan Carlos Castillo, Asbury Park Press
Updated ·3 min read
2
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Since 1937, Columbus Day has been a federal holiday commemorating the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. On Oct. 12 of that year, Columbus fleet anchored in an island that today is part of the Bahamas, after having left Europe in search for a route toward Asia.

The holiday was originally celebrated on Oct. 12, until 1971 when the holiday was fixed to the second Monday of October.

The holiday has come under fire in recent years as "a celebration of a man whose arrival in the Americas heralded the oppression of another group of people: Native Americans," according to National Geographic.

Many organizations and state and local governments in the U.S. and abroad recast the holiday in a new light: Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Since 2021, Indigenous Peoples’ Day has been a federal holiday in the U.S. after President Joe Biden signed a proclamation for it, supporting a promise of equity “and respect for the human rights of Indigenous people in the Americas and around the world.”

The idea of celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day gained traction in 1977 during an international conference on discrimination sponsored by the United Nations. South Dakota became the first state to formally recognize this day in 1989, and other places, including the California cities of Berkeley and Santa Cruz, did the same soon after.

Before the federal proclamation in 2021, there were already 16 states that had formally recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

New Mexico, Maine, Vermont, Alaska and South Dakota went even further as to fully cancel Columbus Day, as opposed to celebrating it simultaneously with Indigenous Peoples’ Day like other states did.

When is Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Oct. 9, 2023, is when Americans will celebrate Indigenous People Day, formerly known as Columbus Day.

Is Columbus Day also Italian-American Heritage Day?

Columbus was Italian. While he never set foot on the continental United States, many Italian Americans throughout the country celebrate the holiday as an Italian heritage commemoration.

Every year Italian Americans celebrate their heritage through parades, parties and festivals.

Entities such as public school districts that have switched the observance of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day have dealt with backlash from the Italian-American community. To assuage reprisal, some institutions opted to observe Italian-American Heritage Day along with Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Ocean County Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival

As in previous years, Seaside Heights' Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival will take place on the weekend before the holiday. This year, the festival will include the folkloric group Citta' dei Trulli.

Italian Festival: 4-10 p.m. Oct. 6; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 7; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 8 throughout Grant Avenue in Seaside Heights.

Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 8, at 1:00 p.m. on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights. For more information, reach the organization at 732-477-6507.

Is Indigenous Peoples’ Day a bank holiday?

Yes, along with other federal, state and local agencies.

  • Banks

  • Government facilities, including MVC offices

  • USPS: No mail or deliveries

  • Most public school districts

  • Many nonretail businesses

Is Costco open on Columbus Day? Popular store hours

  • Costco: 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

  • Target: 8 a.m. -10 p.m.

  • Walmart: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

  • ShopRite: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.

  • Trader Joe's: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

NJ Transit, PATH and SEPTA schedules

NJ Transit will observe the holiday from 7 p.m. Oct. 8 through 6 a.m. Oct. 10. During this period, NJ Transit will operate under an irregular itinerary. Check its online trip planner to confirm arrival and departure times.

PATH will operate on a Saturday schedule, while SEPTA will be operating as usual.

Is the market closed on Columbus Day?

The New York Stock Exchange is open on Monday, Oct. 9. Nasdaq trading will also be open.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: When is Columbus Day? Is Indigenous Peoples' Day a federal holiday?