TRENTON — Columbus Day is an official state and federal holiday with a variety of closures for offices, businesses, and schools, but a regular day for others.

All state agencies in New Jersey will be closed on Monday. Most public schools are closed, but many colleges and universities are holding class as normal.

Columbus Day was first celebrated as a federal holiday in 1937, to commemorate the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. The Uniform Holiday Act took effect in 1971, and made the holiday officially every second Monday of October.

Columbus, Ohio, which is named after the Italian explorer, will not celebrate the holiday and it will be business as usual on Monday. Instead, Veterans Day on November 12 will be a holiday. Robin Davis, a spokeswoman for Democratic Mayor Andrew Ginther, said there isn't money in the city's budget to commemorate both holidays with a day off.

Check with your destination to make sure it is open or closed on Monday.

CLOSED:

  • Post offices
  • State and federal courts
  • State offices (including MVC)
  • Many public schools (check your district's schedule)

OPEN:

  • Financial markets
  • Banks (some banks are closed.  Check your institution's schedule)
  • NJ Transit rail operates on a regular schedule. Some buses are running on a holiday schedule.
  • SEPTA is operating trains and buses on a regular schedule
  • PATCO is operating trains and buses on a regular schedule
  • Malls
  • Retail stores
  • FedEx and UPS will make regular pickups and deliveries
  • Most colleges and universities (check your institution's schedule)

Italians in New Jersey

Click on a town to see population information. Darker red means a greater percentage of the population is of Italian descent. The numbers are 2015 estimates from the U.S. Census' American Community Survey.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

 

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