Where is Columbus Day a holiday?
Pa. and N.J. among 23 states with paid day off today
State government employees in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have the day off today, thanks to the Columbus Day holiday.
But their counterparts in many other states aren't as lucky.
Columbus Day is a paid holiday in just 23 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Pew Research Center, making it one of the most "inconsistently celebrated" U.S. holidays.
It's also a federal holiday, though many federal workers are already on furlough due to the partial government shutdown.
Other states that designate Columbus Day as a holiday for state employees are: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
And some state workers get the day off, but not in honor of Columbus. In South Dakota, the day is celebrated as Native Americans Day, according to the Council of State Governments.