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Working on Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? It depends on where your job is

Depending on where in the United States you live and whom you work for, Columbus Day may be a day off with pay, another holiday entirely, or no different from any other Monday.

Columbus Day continues to be  one of the more contentious of U.S. public holidays . Although the federal holiday on the second Monday in October is still officially called Columbus Day, President Biden has for the past two years also  proclaimed it Indigenous Peoples’ Day , as have dozens of state and localities around the country. (Such proclamations, however, typically don’t make permanent changes in the law, and at least some appear not to have been reissued.)

Our latest update on the status of Columbus Day focuses on states and territories that observe it (or one of its substitutes) as an official public holiday – meaning that state offices are closed and state workers get a paid day off. Several other states have designated the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, or some other name honoring Native Americans, without making it an official state holiday.

In most cases, our sources for this post were state administrative, personnel and human resources websites that list official state holidays, along with official compilations of state statutes. When those weren’t available or didn’t have the information we sought, we consulted other agency websites, news media reports and reputable unofficial sources such as local chambers of commerce.

For information about which states observed Columbus Day in previous years and when they switched or dropped it, we turned to “The Book of the States,” published by the Council of State Governments, along with news media accounts, historical essays and other sources.

Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, is one of the most inconsistently celebrated U.S. holidays. It’s one of 11  official federal holidays , which means federal workers get a paid day off and there’s  no mail delivery . Because federal offices will be closed, so will most banks and the bond markets that trade in U.S. government debt. The  stock markets  will remain open, however, as will most retailers and other businesses.

Beyond that, Columbus Day seems to be fading as a widely observed holiday, having come under fire in recent decades from Native American advocates and others, who’ve argued that Christopher Columbus isn’t an appropriate person to celebrate .

Based on our review of state statutes, human resources websites and other sources, only 16 states and the territory of American Samoa still observe the second Monday in October as an official public holiday exclusively called Columbus Day. (“Official public holiday” typically means government offices are closed and state workers, except those in essential positions, have a paid day off.) In four states, two territories and Washington, D.C., the day is an official public holiday but goes by a different name. Four other states and the U.S. Virgin Islands mark the day as both Columbus Day and something else. And in 26 states and the territory of Guam, the second Monday in October is pretty much like any other workday.

Even two decades ago, before much of the recent reevaluation of the Italian explorer, only 25 states and the District of Columbia observed Columbus Day as a public holiday, according to the Council of State Governments’ comprehensive “Book of the States.”

Since then, several states have moved away from Columbus Day. California and Delaware dropped the holiday entirely in 2009, the latter swapping in a floating holiday for state workers. Maine, New Mexico, Vermont and D.C. all renamed the day Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2019, while retaining it as an official holiday. (While the day is a legal holiday in Vermont, collective bargaining agreements allow state employees to use it as a floating holiday.)

In Hawaii, the day is known as  Discoverers’ Day , though it isn’t – and  by law can’t be  – an official state holiday. And Puerto Rico marks the second Monday in October as  Día de la Raza (Descubrimiento de América) , a celebration of Latin American peoples and cultures. (The commonwealth also commemorates  Día del Descubrimiento de Puerto Rico  on Nov. 19 to mark Columbus’ arrival in Puerto Rico.)

Colorado – the  first state to designate Columbus Day as a state holiday more than 100 years ago – replaced it in 2020 with a new state holiday (on the  first  Monday in October) honoring  Frances Xavier Cabrini , a Catholic nun and Italian immigrant who founded dozens of schools, hospitals and orphanages to serve poor immigrants and was  canonized a saint in 1946 .

Since 1990, South Dakota has observed  Native Americans’ Day  as an official state holiday on the second Monday in October. Tennessee  officially observes Columbus Day , but on a completely different day: The governor can (and routinely does) move the observance to the Friday after Thanksgiving, to facilitate a four-day weekend. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands began substituting  Commonwealth Cultural Day  for Columbus Day in 2006.

Even places with official Columbus Day holidays sometimes give them alternative monikers. Nebraska and Rhode Island, for instance, have designated the second Monday in October to be Indigenous Peoples’ Day as well as Columbus Day.

The U.S. Virgin Islands formally observes Columbus Day but puts much more emphasis on  Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day , which just happens to fall on the same day. In Alabama, the second Monday in October is simultaneously Columbus Day, American Indian Heritage Day (since 2000) and  Fraternal Day , a day honoring Freemasons, Rotarians, Elks and other social and service clubs. Columbus Day doubles as  Yorktown Victory Day in Virginia.

Even Columbus, Ohio, no longer observes its namesake’s holiday, having  renamed it  Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2020. But  Columbus, Georgia , has retained the day’s original name.

Originally conceived as a celebration of Italian American heritage, Columbus Day was  first observed as a federal holiday in 1937 , largely due to lobbying by the Knights of Columbus. The holiday was moved from Oct. 12 to the  second Monday in October  starting in 1971.

More recently, Native American groups and other critics have advocated for changing the holiday to something else, citing Columbus’ own mistreatment of natives and his legacy of European settlement. Several states (including Alaska , Iowa , Michigan and Oregon ) and dozens of cities (including Seattle , San Antonio , Houston and Boston ) have recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead, though not always enshrined in law or as an official, permanent public holiday.

California, for example, is among the 26 states that don’t have an official public holiday on the second Monday in October. But in the past, it has designated the day as  Indigenous Peoples’ Day by gubernatorial proclamation . California law also designates the fourth Friday in September as Native American Day, which state employees may take in lieu of their annual personal holiday.

In Texas, the legislature in 2021 declared the second week of October as  Indigenous Peoples’ Week . And in Oklahoma – a state with  39 recognized Native American tribes  and where, according to the latest Census estimates, about one-in-seven residents identify as American Indian – state law directs the governor to proclaim an official day for every tribe in the state, on a date of each tribe’s choosing.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published on Oct. 14, 2013.

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Causal Effect of Public Holidays on Economic Growth

71 Pages Posted: 13 May 2021 Last revised: 7 Dec 2022

Lucas Rosso

University of chile, rodrigo andres wagner.

UAI Business School ; Growth Lab - Harvard University (Center for Int. Development)

Date Written: January 13, 2021

Public holidays are regulations that directly reduce workers’ labor supply. These popular policies can have valuable benefits, but also have opportunity costs from foregone economic activity. A pervasive challenge to measuring these costs is that a country’s holidays are endogenous to income and preferences. Public holidays may even increase demand for subcategories of GDP, with an ambiguous magnitude on the whole economy. This paper presents a global panel of national holidays (2000-2019) for over 200 countries. Beyond long-run trends, it introduces a novel ``high frequency'' identification from public holidays falling on a weekend in a given year. For many countries that do not replace these ``lost holidays'', this mechanism transitorily increases working days for a year, in a way that is arguably orthogonal to other growth determinants. We find a statistically significant working-day elasticity of GDP around 0.2. This means that an extra holiday would forego around 20% of the proportional GDP. This is around half of the effect predicted by the aggregate labor share. As expected, the effect is stronger in activities more likely to be interrupted by these holidays, like manufacturing; without a distinguishable effect on activities likely to continue (e.g. mining, agriculture). It is also reassuring these transitory holidays relate to fewer work-related accidents and to more short-run happiness during the year.

Keywords: economic growth, labor-leisure choices, hours worked, welfare

JEL Classification: E20, O40, E32.

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Rodrigo Andres Wagner (Contact Author)

Uai business school.

Diagonal Las Torres 2700 Penalolen Santiago Chile

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/rodrigoawagner

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Is Juneteenth a federal holiday? Is it a state holiday? Here's everywhere it's recognized

This Monday is Juneteenth, which marks the third anniversary of the federal recognition of the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in Confederate states .

While President Jor Biden formally recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday, this doesn’t guarantee a day of paid time off for everyone.

This year, 28 states will legally recognize Juneteenth as a public holiday, according to the Pew Research Center. This means state workers will have a paid day off.

By the time President Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday, almost all states had voted independently to commemorate Juneteenth as a day of observance. As compared to public holidays, in which all state employees have the day off and banks close, days of observance like Earth Day or Flag Day are recognized but not given off.

See more below about when states first recognized the holiday.

When did states commemorate Juneteenth?

Is juneteenth a state holiday here's where it's officially recognized.

The governors of West Virginia and Alabama have authorized Juneteenth as a state holiday through proclamation, but it will not be considered a permanent holiday unless state legislatures pass bills into law.

California allows state employees to take off on Juneteenth in lieu of receiving a personal holiday.

In Pennsylvania, employees under the governor’s jurisdiction can take a paid day off, and in North Carolina, employees can take floating holiday on a day of “cultural, religious or personal significance,” according to the Pew Research Center.

What was the first state to recognize Juneteenth?

On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed a reluctant community in Galveston, Texas, that President Abraham Lincoln had freed enslaved people in rebel states two and a half years earlier. He pressed locals to comply with the directive. 

Although Lincoln proclaimed the emancipation of enslaved people, effective Jan. 1, 1863, enslavers were responsible for telling them that they were free, and some ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, according to Cliff Robinson, founder of Juneteenth.com. Texas was the last Confederate state to have the proclamation announced.

The first Juneteenth celebration, held in the state's capital in 1867, was led by Freedmen's Bureau. It became part of the calendar of public events by 1872, according to the Texas State Historical Association .

Texas then became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980. Introduced by Houston Democrat Al Edwards, the state legislature passed the act in 1979. Governor William P. Clements, Jr. signed into law in 1980.

Explained: Gov. Ron DeSantis' feud with the College Board over AP African American Studies

Celebrating history in the face of repression in schools

The national Juneteenth holiday coincided with a conservative push to limit education about race and Black history. No existing state laws explicitly prohibit the teaching about or celebrating Juneteenth in K-12 education. But laws restricting classroom content are widespread. Education Week reports 18 states have laws limiting how teachers can discuss race and racism in classrooms. 

Though the holiday occurs in the summer break for the majority of school districts, some strive to provide resources or lessons for the community, such the Chicago Public School system, which tweeted out a list of Juneteenth celebrations across the city for families or the Willingboro Township school district , in New Jersey, which hosts a district-wide arts performance.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY

USA Federal Holidays 2024

Usa federal holidays for year 2024.

Federal Holidays of the USA by Year

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Seasonal holiday injuries: A research roundup

Holidays are a time for celebration, but also a source of injuries. Several research studies examine both common and uncommon types and sources of seasonal holiday injuries, which usually peak on the week after Thanksgiving and continue until the end of the year.

Republish this article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

by Naseem S. Miller, The Journalist's Resource December 20, 2023

This <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org/home/seasonal-holiday-injuries-a-research-roundup/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org">The Journalist's Resource</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-jr-favicon-150x150.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;">

Winter holidays bring celebrations, family traditions, light decorations, special foods and delicacies, and indoor and outdoor activities.

But they can also bring injuries and health problems. Research shows a range of injuries in kids and adults stemming from swallowing Christmas ornaments and decorations, falling from a ladder when putting up lights — or falling from Santa’s lap , suffering burns from touching the candles on a menorah or from biting into a hot deep-fried donut. In some, binging on alcoholic drinks can induce atrial fibrillation, leading to a condition known as “holiday heart syndrome.”

Each year, nearly 18,400 people visit emergency rooms because of accidents with Christmas decorations, according to USAFacts , a non-profit organization that provides U.S. data and reports, using data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The peak of those injuries is usually the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

To be sure, compared with other holidays such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Halloween, Christmas has a lower number of injuries, a 2010 study found . But seasonal holiday injuries and health issues make headlines each year.

Earlier this month, a Michigan woman suffered significant burns after her robe caught fire at a church’s Christmas event, reported Hometown Life , a Gannett-owned publication. “Someone put a candle in the wrong place,” the fire chief told the news outlet. A 9-year-old boy suffered injuries after falling from a float in the West Alabama Christmas Parade, according to WVUA 23 News . And ABC News ran an explainer about holiday heart syndrome.

For journalists looking to inform their audiences about health-related holiday topics, we’ve gathered several studies. They’re listed in order of publication date.

Research roundup

Enjoy the Holiday Spirit, Not the Holiday Heart Ali Syed, Benjamin D. Seadler, David L. Joyce. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, January 2023.

Alcohol is typically part of holiday celebrations and gatherings in Western society. Short-term alcohol use in excess and binge drinking are linked with memory loss, impaired judgment, unintentional injury, violence and driving under the influence.

But a less commonly known consequence of binge drinking is alcohol-induced atrial arrhythmia, known as “Holiday Heart Syndrome,” which was first described in the 1970s, the authors write. (In the United States, 5% to 10% of new atrial fibrillation diagnoses are related to alcohol abuse.)

Symptoms include palpitations, shortness of breath, anxiety, weakness and chest pain.

The authors note that the exact biochemistry of the syndrome is unknown, but the correlation between atrial fibrillation and binge drinking is “undeniable.”

Avoiding A Crisis at Christmas: A Systematic Review of Adverse Health Effects of ‘Chrishaps’ Caused by Traditional Hazard Sources and COVID-19 Ursula Wild, David M. Shaw, Thomas C. Erren. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, February 2022.

This study aims to find out “which hazards have been scientifically associated with old Christmas essentials such as decoration, gifts, menus, and Santa himself, as well as new challenges associated with COVID‐19?”

The authors examined the findings of 30 studies, most of which were case reports or retrospective analyses, which are types of studies that examine data collected in the past.

The various hazards of Christmas included allergic reactions to poinsettias, Christmas trees and candles; swallowing of Christmas decorations; and falling from ladders, roofs and furniture. In one case , a patient had a supposed case of cyanosis — a condition where the skin, lips and nails turn blue — after receiving a blue bed linen as a Christmas gift.

Christmas dinners can also pose risks, such as higher cholesterol levels and weight gain, the authors write. Also, “two other risks from eating were documented: abdominal pain after eating without chewing and eating a piece of Christmas cake together with a plastic robin ,” which was part of the cake decoration, they write.

Pediatric Ingestions of Christmas Past, Present, and Future: A Review of Holiday Trends, 1997 to 2015 Patrick T. Reeves, Jayasree Krishnamurthy, Eric A. Pasman and Cade M. Nylund. Clinical Pediatrics, February 2019.

The authors use National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data from 1997 to 2015, focusing exclusively on cases of children, up to 17 years old, who went to an emergency department due to ingesting Christmas decorations, including ornaments, bells and candles during December and January.

There were an estimated 22,224 such cases over the period studied. Children aged 2 and younger accounted for 84% of the cases. Almost 96% were either treated and released or examined and released without treatment.

The peak of such injuries occurred during the Christmas week.

 “Future advocacy efforts might focus on improving social awareness, parental education, or even federal oversight with regard to these possibly dangerous decorations,” the authors write.

“Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful”: Severe Injury Secondary to Falls While Installing Residential Christmas Lights Michael R. Driedger, et al. Injury, January 2016.

The study examines the health outcomes of 40 patients in Canada who were admitted to a level 1 trauma center from 2002 to 2012 with severe injuries suffered due to falling while installing Christmas lights. The researchers found this activity can result in life-altering injuries.

In total, 95% of the patients were men with a mean age of 55. Most of the falls (65%) were from ladders and 30% of the patients fell from a roof.

The most common injury was to the head and torso. About 43% of the patients had spine injuries.

“Given the heights associated with this activity, as well as the often hazardous weather conditions, adherence to safety precautions is essential,” the authors write.

Seasonal Foreign Bodies: The Dangers of Winter Holiday Ornamentation Andrew T. Trout and Alexander J. Towbin. Pediatric Radiology, October 2014.

Children can suffer minor or severe injuries if they swallow winter holiday decorations and ornaments. These injuries mostly occur in children under 5.

In this “pictorial essay,” the authors provide radiology images of a wide range of holiday ornaments they’ve seen in children, including whole glass baubles, large and small, metal hooks used to hang ornaments on trees, small plastic ornaments, individual Christmas lights and Hanukkah decorations, including spinning tops and foil-wrapped coins.

Radiologists play a key role in identifying these foreign bodies in children, the authors write.

“Around the winter holidays, ornaments and decorations can become a source of foreign bodies for pediatric patients, and familiarity with the appearance of these seasonal foreign bodies can be helpful in their identification,” they write.

Jewish Holidays and Their Associated Medical Risks Jacob Urkin and Sody Naimer. Journal of Community Health, June 2014.

This study summarizes the findings from the existing literature regarding the health hazards related to celebrating Jewish holidays, including Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Passover, Sukkot, Purim and Hanukkah.

The authors highlight several injuries related to Hanukkah, which lasts eight days — starting in late November or in December — and is observed by lighting candles on a candelabrum called a menorah.

“Most of the injuries in Hanukkah are related to burns in children who were carelessly handling lighted candles,” the authors note.

Children often receive foil-wrapped chocolate coins, or gelt, during Hanukkah. Another source of injury is children ingesting the foil covering gelt.

The most popular sweet during Hanukkah — deep-fried donuts called sufganiyot — can be a source of burns in the mouth.

“We assume that the reason for these injuries is that the fluid cream, jam or caramel at the center of the pastry tends to heat much quicker than the surrounding baked dough, especially when heated in the microwave oven. Then, without sensing its extreme heat at the center, the hungry subject will bite into burning hot fluid,” the authors write.

Epidemiology of Pediatric Holiday-Related Injuries Presenting to U.S. Emergency Departments Anthony D’Ippolito, Christy L. Collins and R. Dawn Comstock. Pediatrics, May 2010.

The study investigates eight major holidays in the U.S. and finds that among children younger than 19, approximately 500,000 holiday-related injuries were treated at emergency departments between 1997 and 2006.

Labor Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Halloween were the holidays with the highest number of injuries per year overall. Christmas, in fact, had the least number of injuries.

Among the study’s other findings:

• Overall, boys sustained 62% of the injuries.
• Nearly 30% of injuries were in children younger than 5.
• The most common injuries were cuts, bruises, fractures and sprains.
• Nearly 66% of the cuts were to the face.
• The greatest proportion of deaths occurred around the Fourth of July and New Year’s.

“Parents should closely supervise children who are younger than 5 years on Thanksgiving and Christmas when the proportions of injuries were significantly greater among these younger children compared with the other age groups,” the authors write. “On New Year’s, those aged 15 to 19 years had a significantly greater proportion of injuries compared with all other holidays.”

The BMJ Christmas issue

The BMJ, a prestigious medical journal, has a well-established annual Christmas issue that includes a mix of light-hearted features and peer-reviewed research. Below are highlights from this year’s issue:

• One study makes the case for the Barbie doll to expand her range of medical and scientific professions.
• Another study draws a link between a new Doctor Who episode shown during the holidays, especially Christmas Day, and lower death rates in the following year across the UK.
• To the relief of coffee drinkers, a study finds that coffee machines are not responsible for spreading disease in hospitals.
• A small study finds putting a chair beside a patient’s bed in the hospital room nudged physicians to sit during the visit, which in turn resulted in higher patient satisfaction.
• If you’re a fan of the Great British Baking Show, you’ll appreciate this study, which examines the health benefits and harms of Christmas recipes on the show. Results: you can have your cake and eat it too.
• And if you’re popping the cork on a sparkling wine bottle on New Year’s Eve, be careful, because cork eye injuries can be significant, according to this study . It takes 0.05 seconds for the cork to travel from the bottle to your eye, the authors write. They also share a useful guide for opening a bottle of sparkling wine.

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PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2023

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Public trust in charities at ten-year high, new research shows

People receiving charitable support grows threefold in four years, as cost of living pressures bite.

The Charity Commission, the regulator of charities in England and Wales, has published fresh research that shows public trust in charities at highest level since 2014.  

The research reveals that information about how money is spent by a charity is the single most important factor for most people. This is followed closely by knowing that the charity achieves its purpose, that it makes a difference and that it operates to high ethical standards.  

Overall, trust in charities is high and continues to recover. Charities now score 6.5 out of 10 for trust, up from 6.3 in 2023, from a low of 5.5 in 2018 following a series of scandals. 58% of people have “high” trust in charities (7 out of 10 or higher), placing it among the most trusted groups in society, second only after doctors.  

In a challenging financial environment, the research illustrates a growing reliance on charities for support, alongside a declining percentage of people donating to charities. 47% of people say they donated money or goods, or raised funds for charity, compared with 62% in 2020. By contrast, there has been an increase in people saying they have received charitable services, such as financial help, food or medical support from a charity – 9%, up from 3% in 2020.  

Around half of people say they have heard of the Charity Commission, with 19% knowing it ‘well’. Awareness of the Charity Commission is associated with higher trust in charities, with those who have heard of the regulator being more likely to report high trust (63% vs. 52%). Around 4 in 10 people are aware of the online Register of charities.  

Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, says: 

These findings are encouraging, demonstrating that charities collectively are once again firmly trusted by the public, making a visible, essential difference locally, nationally and globally. But there is no room for complacency, for charities or for us as regulator. The new findings point to the challenging financial environment charities are operating in, with a decline in the number of people giving to charity, whilst the high cost of living appears to be driving more people to access charity services. In these financially challenging times, charities must continue to show people how they deliver on their purpose, including how every penny makes a positive difference. Anyone can look up this information on our public Register of charities, which gives details of each charity’s purpose and spending.

Research into trustee attitudes  

Alongside the research into public trust, the regulator has published the findings of a survey into charity trustees’ attitudes towards their role.  

The research finds that most trustees share the public’s high expectations of conduct in charities – 61% agree that because of its registered status, their charity’s standards of behaviours and conduct ought to be higher than that in other organisations.  

Overall, trustees have high stated levels of confidence in their responsibilities, and generally understand what they should do when making decisions, with those who are aware of the Charity Commission demonstrating they are better informed.   

But the research, also conducted by BMG, finds that trustees are less clear on things they should not be doing, including making decisions based on their personal views, or avoiding awkward questions. They are also less confident about dealing with conflicts of interest, and overseeing charity finances. 

For the first time, the Commission asked charity trustees about their charity’s use of Artificial Intelligence. Only 3% of trustees said their charity has used AI, however this rose to 8% of larger charities (income £1m+). 

Previously published data from the research confirms how widespread problems with banking services are for trustees – 2 out of 5 trustees said their charity has experienced a banking issue over the past year. The Commission has previously spoken out on its concerns about the impact on charities of poor service from the banks. Earlier this year, the Commission said it was “shocked, but not surprised” by “undeniable evidence of the extent and impact of the appalling service charities receive from some banks.” 

The full research is available on GOV.UK

Notes to editors

• The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Find out more: About us - The Charity Commission - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  

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