Columbus Day
Encyclopedia : C : CO : COL : Columbus Day
| Columbus Day | |
| Official name | |
| Also called | |
| Observed by | the Americas |
| Type | Historical |
| Significance | A celebration honoring Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the Americas in 1492 |
| Begins | |
| Ends | |
| Date | second Monday in October (USA) |
| Gregorian Date (2006) | October 9 (USA) |
| Celebrations | |
| Observances | |
| Related to | Dia de la Raza in many Latin American countries, Discovery Day in the Bahamas, Hispanic Day in Spain, and Día de la Resistencia Indígena in Venezuela. Also, Thanksgiving in Canada, which falls on the same date. |
Columbus Day is a holiday celebrated in many countries in the Americas, commemorating the date of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Similar holidays, celebrated as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, Discovery Day in the Bahamas, Hispanic Day in Spain, and the newly-renamed (as of 2002) Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela, commemorate the same event.
Columbus Day in the United States
Columbus Day falls officially on October 12 and is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in October. The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the USA was held by the Tammany Society, also known as the Colombian Order, in New York on October 12 1792, marking the 300th anniversary of Columbus's landing in the Bahamas.Many Italian Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of Italian American heritage. Columbus Day was first celebrated by Italians in San Francisco in 1869, following on the heels of 1866 Italian celebrations in New York City. The first state celebration was in Colorado in 1905, and in 1937, at the behest of the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic fraternal service organization named for the voyager), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt set aside Columbus Day as a holiday in the United States. Since 1971, the holiday has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada.
Some Italian-Americans feel pride in the day due to the fact that Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, sailed to the Americas. To some, it is awkward that Italian-Americans celebrate the day since Columbus did sail to the Americas under the name of Spain and not Italy.
Banks are almost always closed on this day, as are government offices. It is not, however, recognized by most private American employers as a day off from work.
Día de la Raza
The date of Columbus' arrival in the Americas is celebrated in Latin America (and in some Latino communities in the USA) as the Día de la Raza ("day of the race"), commemorating the first encounters of Europe and Natives Americans. The day was first celebrated in Argentina in 1917, Venezuela in 1921, Chile in 1923, and Mexico in 1928.The day was also celebrated under this title in Spain until 1958, when it was changed to the "Día de la Hispanidad." In Spain, the "race" of reference in the original name was that of the Spanish people and did not reflect the mestizo characterization found in many Latin American countries.
In 2002, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela changed the name to Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance).
Opposition to Columbus Day
Many people oppose Columbus Day, claiming his achievements are not worthy of a holiday. Historically, Columbus was not the first to discover America, nor was he the first European to land at America. That honor goes to the Viking Leif Ericson, who landed in present-day Newfoundland. There is also controversy surrounding his treatment of the native people of the Americas.The myth of Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America is due to Washington Irving. His "biography" of Columbus was popularized in a dramatic and embellished account. In recent years, the holiday has been rejected by many people who view it as a celebration of conquest and genocide. In its place, Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated.
See also
External links
- [Transform Columbus Day] — A campaign to "reject the celebration of Christopher Columbus" in Colorado
- [Christopher Columbus] — An Italian-American perspective on Columbus Day, from the OSIA
- [Today in History: October 12] — An article about Columbus Day at The Library of Congress
- [Columbus Day 2005] Call to build an alternative community celebration of October 12th.
- [Native American Day in South Dakota]
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