Sixteen states do not observe Columbus Day, including Hawaii, Oregon and Alaska. Hawaii calls the second Monday in October Discoverer's Day and commemorates Polynesian explorers discovering the islands, but schools and state offices remain open.
Iowa and Nevada do not observe Columbus Day as an official holiday, but statutes in these states "authorize and request" that the governors proclaim Columbus Day's observation each year. South Dakota observes "Native American Day" on the second Monday of October. Government workers in California and Texas do not get Columbus Day as a paid holiday, but the states hold a day of recognition on the second Monday in October. Other states observe Indigenous People's Day instead of Columbus Day.
