Columbus Day is here and this means that post offices are closed. There is no mail delivery and no packages are delivered by USPS. However, other delivery services are operational. All post offices and federal offices are closed for the holiday, which means that no businesses, nor homes, will get mail. According to USPS, because it is a federal holiday, all federal offices are closed. However, there are some states that do not honor the holiday. California, Alaska, Nevada and Hawaii are just some of the states that do not consider Columbus Day to be a public holiday, according to Office Holidays.
For those expecting packages via alternative mailing options, you may be in luck. You may still receive packages from FedEx, Amazon and UPS on Columbus Day. According to Amazon, there may be delays in shipping for Columbus Day, so don’t panic if your package has not arrived yet, though service should generally run on its normal shipping schedule.
When it comes to UPS, business will run as usual on Columbus Day, Monday, October 8, 2018. Columbus Day is listed as a recognized holiday, though it is not observed. The full list of observed holidays for UPS includes:
New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas
New Year’s Day
UPS Holiday and UPS Express Critical are still available for the above observed holidays. The holidays and occasions that are recognized, but NOT observed by UPS are:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Valentine’s Day
Presidents’ Day
Chinese New Year
Daylight Saving Time begins
St. Patrick’s Day
Passover
Easter
Earth Day
Cinco de Mayo
Mother’s Day
Flag Day
Ramadan
Father’s Day
UPS Founders’ Day
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Columbus Day
Halloween
Daylight Saving Time ends
Veterans Day
Hanukkah
Kwanzaa
In addition, FedEx reports it is also open for business on Columbus Day this year, but there will not be normal delivery service on the holiday. FedEx Express, FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, and FedEx Trade Networks are all open on Columbus Day. FedEx Home Delivery will be closed so you may not get some of your packages.
FedEx Smart Post is running via moderate service because “deliveries may be delayed due to USPS observation of holiday.”
Columbus Day is always on the second Monday in October. Unlike post offices, most restaurants and stores will be open. In addition, some banks will be open, while others are closed. Many schools are closed for the day as well, though most people’s work schedules do not change. Public libraries may choose to close as well.
While most trash companies may carry out their normal garbage removal schedule, some garbage disposal companies will not be running. For example, NYC.gov reports that their holiday schedule includes Columbus Day and recommends that people put out their garbage after 4 p.m. on the evening of the holiday, for collection beginning the next day. For other communities, garbage removal may not occur until the next cycle day.
Trash removal and other local delivery schedules in certain states should run normally, especially if the state does not observe the day. According to Office Holidays, states that do not observe Columbus Day include:
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Delaware
Florida
Hawaii
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Nevada
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Hawaii, South Dakota, and Vermont actually mark the day with an alternative holiday or observance.