Monday is designated as both Columbus day (a federal holiday) and Indigenous Peoples Day, but at Pasadena City Hall it’s just another work day as municipal offices and services are open and operating as a regular weekday.
Due to the federal holiday, there will be no U.S. Mail delivery and federal courts will be closed. Many banks are also expected to be closed.
Although the U.S. Postal Service will be closed, private delivery companies, such as UPS and FedEx, will continue to deliver packages.
Los Angeles County observes the Indigenous Peoples Day holiday in place of Columbus Day.
County offices will be closed Monday, including libraries. Los Angeles County courts will be open. (They were closed Sept. 23 for Native American Day.)
Metro buses and trains will run on a regular schedule, along with Metrolink trains.
But in Pasadena — except for the City Council, which has canceled its Monday meetings — all City of Pasadena departments and services will operate on a regular weekday schedule, including the Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena Transit bus system and trash pick up.
The Pasadena Unified School District is open.
Columbus Day is one of the 12 official federal holidays in the United States.
In 1907, Colorado became the first state to declare Columbus Day a holiday, marking the anniversary of the day in 1492 a sailor on board the Pinta sighted land. The next day, the 90 crewmembers of Columbus’ three-ship fleet ventured onto the Bahamian island that he named San Salvador.
Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1968, celebrated on the second Monday in October under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
In his proclamation declaring Monday as Columbus Day, President Joe Biden said, “In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from the Spanish port of Palos de la Frontera on behalf of Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II, but his roots trace back to Genoa, Italy.”
“The story of his journey remains a source of pride for many Italian Americans whose families also crossed the Atlantic. His voyage inspired many others to follow and ultimately contributed to the founding of America, which has been a beacon for immigrants across the world.”
Biden also issued a proclamation declaring Monday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the sovereignty, resilience, and immense contributions that Native Americans have made to the world and we recommit to upholding our solemn trust and treaty responsibilities to tribal nations, strengthening our nation-to-nation ties,” Biden said.
“For centuries, Indigenous peoples were forcibly removed from ancestral lands, displaced, assimilated, and banned from worshiping or performing many sacred ceremonies. Yet today, they remain some of our greatest environmental stewards.
“They maintain strong religious beliefs that still feed the soul of our nation. And they have chosen to serve in the United States Armed Forces at a higher rate than any other group. Native peoples challenge us to confront our past and do better, and their contributions to scholarship, law, the arts, public service and more continue to guide us forward.”
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