Life

Publix & Its Columbus Day Hours Mean You Don't Have To Miss Out On Your Monday Sub

Publix, widely lauded as one of the top grocery stores in the country and definitely number one in our hearts, is known for many things: Early hours, sparkling stores, and a customer service policy that requires employees to greet each customer they encounter. These are only a few of the benefits they offer residents in the Southeastern United States, but will they withhold their smiling faces and famous custom sandwiches from the hungry masses on Columbus Day? Is Publix open on Columbus Day?

It's a holiday and none of us want to scrounge around our pantries, raided by kids and guests alike over the course of a long weekend, for a few stray oatmeal packets and desiccated raisins to feed our nearest and dearest on our day off. We want subs! Big ones! That come from Publix! We want to eat them by the pool because autumn hasn't come to the south yet and we're bitter about it.

But fear not, Publix wouldn't do you dirty like that. Like most major retailers, the grocery store only closes on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Even that feels like too much sometimes, because you better believe I've sent out feelers for extra butter on Turkey Day after wrestling with a 12-pound bird. But on Columbus Day, you can expect your local store to be open during its regular hours, which in most cases is 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

It's not exactly like you have to physically drive yourself to Publix on Monday if you have some fun planned, because the store now has grocery and liquor delivery in select regions of their service area, which encompasses Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. I bet it's amazing to have someone step right up to your door with a week's worth of groceries, because if there's anything true in life, it's that schlepping recalcitrant children to the supermarket is not worth the hassle a small delivery fee can resolve. There's also a current sale on baby items, so be sure to snag a few reduced items to add to your order.

The Pew Research Center noted that of the 10 federal holidays, Columbus Day is the most inconsistently observed. While federal employees, bankers, and those who work on bond markets are guaranteed the day off, no one else is. According to the article, only 23 states, two of which are located in Publix's service area, observe Columbus Day while South Dakota, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also have a holiday on the second Monday of October — but they've rebranded Columbus Day into Native Americans' Day, Discoverers' Day, and Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day. Weirdly, Tennessee technically celebrates Columbus Day on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Suffice it to say, it's not a popular holiday.

The holiday was founded as a state holiday almost a century ago in Colorado and was originally celebrated on Oct. 12, also the same date that Christopher Columbus mistook Hispaniola for somewhere in Asia in 1492. So began what some people regard as the beginning of European exploitation of The America's native populations, and our country's half-hearted efforts to recognize Columbus' contributions to Western civilization.

Thankfully, Publix will not stand in your way should you have to go about your business on Monday like many other Americans. It doesn't look like it's going to be a pool or beach day for most of its customers, so if you need to swing by the store for an emergency rotisserie chicken after a dance lesson, just know that Publix will almost never let you down — unless it's a major holiday worth celebrating.