Columbus Day is observed on the second Monday in October. In 2023, Columbus Day was observed on October 9th. The holiday commemorates explorer Christopher Columbus landing in the New World on October 12, 1492. It has been an annual holiday in the United States since 1937, and it was moved to the second Monday in October to give workers a long holiday weekend. Although the federal holiday is still officially called Columbus Day, President Biden has proclaimed it Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the past two years, as have dozens of states and localities around the country.