It's Columbus Day (Observed), and after a weekend of international rescue plans in place, stock markets overseas were sharply higher and U.S. stock futures were rebounding in advance of this morning's Wall Street opening, according to CNNMoney.com.

U.S. bond markets were closed today for the Columbus Day holiday, CNNMoney reported.

Meanwhile, holiday observance was a mixed bag in and around Albuquerque.

City and county offices are open, and state, federal and congressional offices are closed, and postal service is on hold, according to the list of closures in this morning's Albuquerque Journal.

Sorry, kids. Albuquerque Public Schools, Rio Rancho Public Schools, the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College are open.

And banks are observing this Federal Reserve Holiday, but check with your local branch to be sure, the Journal reported.

Although it has become something of a multicultural albatross in recent years, we're happy to acknowledge Christopher Columbus' heroic voyage to the New World (the landing occurred on Oct. 12, 1492 in the old Julian calendar and on Oct. 21 according to our modern Gregorian calendar).

But what about Leif Erikson Day, celebrated in Wisconsin and parts of the upper Midwest in recognition of the Nordic discovery of America on (for no particular reason) Oct. 9?

And what day marks the hypothesized Chinese discovery of America in 1421 (at least according to amateur historian Gavin Menzies)?

Or who knows what day the first Siberian trekked across the land bridge connecting Asia and North America so many thousands of years ago?