Columbus Day used to be the kind of holiday that arrived with a parade, a government office closure, and at least one person asking, “Wait, is mail coming today?” Now it arrives carrying a debate, a history lesson, a civic identity quiz, and possibly a group chat argument with an uncle named Tony. Columbus Day 2026 falls on Monday, October 12. In many places, that same date will also be observed as Indigenous Peoples Day. Same square on the calendar, two very different meanin