Columbus Day may become one of those things you tell your kids about. You know, one of those, “When I was your age, we had Columbus Day off” deals.

The banks, post offices and many schools are closed today for Columbus Day, but judging by action in some state government and schools, those days may be numbered.

According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, Columbus Day is one of two unpaid holidays being eliminated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in California as part of a budget-cut proposal. A number of people are hoping to have the Friday after Thanksgiving become a holiday instead.

“You can celebrate the hell out of it if you get it the day after Thanksgiving—it gives you four days off,” reasoned former Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter to the Wall Street Journal.

So far, 22 states don’t give their employees the day off, according to the Council of State Governments. It’s not just that groups are “going after state governments to drop this holiday for whatever reason they come up with,” according to Mike Graham, who founded a group fighting for a national holiday for Native Americans.

TheJournal posits Wilmette, Ill., as an example of where teachers and staff are working on Columbus Day, but in exchange for a holiday on December 23rd. Ray Lechner, superintendent of Wilmette District 39, says the reality is that Columbus Day is a low holiday priority in comparison to Christmas or other religious holidays.

Read more, including Brown University’s decision to rename the holiday “Fall Weekend”, here.

Our Take

Columbus Day seems to be taken less and less seriously, with schools canceling it if it’s convenient and congress shortening their vacations because they have more important things to do. It brings up the question of whether a national holiday is still needed for Columbus.

It’s time to end Columbus Day as a national holiday. Most businesses don’t take off, it’s not a religious holiday, and no one that I’ve ever heard of does anything special for the holiday or goes home to spend time with family. Also, it’s not enough nice enough weather to take a good three-day weekend. It turns out being more of an inconvenience for most working people.

Not only is the holiday inconvenient, we’re celebrating a man whose accomplishments are questionable at best. He was searching for India, found America and his actions led to the genocide of Native Americans. The day after Thanksgiving or another day around Christmas are far better days to have off. Here’s to hoping it will be that way in a few years.