Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday
that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on
October 12, 1492. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and
states as early as the 18th century but did not become a federal holiday until
the 1937.
For many, the holiday is a way of both honoring Columbus’
achievements and celebrating Italian-American heritage. Throughout its history,
Columbus Day and the man who inspired it have generated controversy, and many alternatives
to the holiday have appeared in recent years.
ORIGINS OF COLUMBUS DAY
A U.S. national holiday since 1937, Columbus Day
commemorates the arrival ofChristopher
Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. The Italian-born
explorer had set sail two months earlier, backed by the Spanish monarchs King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He intended to chart a western sea route to
China, India and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia; instead, he landed
in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas since
the Vikingsset
up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland during the 10th century.
Did You Know?
Contrary to popular belief, most educated
Europeans in Columbus' day understood that the world was round, but they did
not yet know that the Pacific Ocean existed. As a result, Columbus and his
contemporaries assumed that only the Atlantic lay between Europe and the riches
of the East Indies.
Later that month, Columbus sighted Cuba and believed it was
mainland China; in December the expedition found Hispaniola, which he though
might be Japan. There, he established Spain’s first colony in the Americas with
39 of his men. In March 1493, the explorer returned to Spain in triumph,
bearing gold, spices and “Indian” captives. He crossed the Atlantic several
more times before his death in 1506; by his third journey, he realized that he
hadn’t reached Asia but instead had stumbled upon a continent previously
unknown to Europeans.
COLUMBUS DAY IN THE UNITED STATES
The first Columbus Day celebration took place in 1792, when
New York’s Columbian Order–better known as Tammany Hall–held an event to commemorate
the historic landing’s 300th anniversary. Taking pride in Columbus’ birthplace
and faith, Italian and Catholic communities in various parts of the country
began organizing annual religious ceremonies and parades in his honor. In 1892,
President Benjamin
Harrison issued a proclamation encouraging Americans to mark the 400th
anniversary of Columbus’ voyage with patriotic festivities, writing, “On that
day let the people, so far as possible, cease from toil and devote themselves
to such exercises as may best express honor to the discoverer and their
appreciation of the great achievements of the four completed centuries of
American life.”
In 1937, President Franklin
D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a national holiday, largely as a
result of intense lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, an influential Catholic
fraternal benefits organization. Originally observed every October 12, it was
fixed to the second Monday in October in 1971.
COLUMBUS DAY ALTERNATIVES
Opposition to Columbus Day dates back to the 19th century,
when anti-immigrant groups in the United States rejected the holiday because of
its association with Catholicism. In recent decades, Native Americans and other
groups have protested the celebration of an event that indirectly resulted in
the colonization of the Americas and the death of millions: European settlers
brought a host of infectious diseases, including smallpox and influenza, that
decimated indigenous populations; warfare between Native Americans and the
colonists claimed many lives as well. The image of Christopher Columbus as an
intrepid hero has also been called into question. Upon arriving in the Bahamas,
the explorer and his men forced the native peoples they found there into
slavery; later, while serving as the governor of Hispaniola, he allegedly
imposed barbaric forms of punishment, including torture.
In many Latin American nations, the anniversary of
Columbus’ landing has traditionally been observed as the Dìa de la Raza (“Day
of the Race”), a celebration of Hispanic culture’s diverse roots. In 2002,
Venezuela renamed the holiday Dìa de la Resistencia Indìgena (“Day of Indigenous
Resistance”) to recognize native peoples and their experience. Several U.S.
cities and states have replaced Columbus Day with alternative days of
remembrance; examples include Berkeley’s Indigenous Peoples Day, South Dakota’s
Native American Day and Hawaii’s Discoverer’s Day, which commemorates the
arrival of Polynesian settlers.
COLUMBUS DAY TRADITIONS
In many parts of the United States, Columbus Day has
evolved into a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Local groups host
parades and street fairs featuring colorful costumes, music and Italian food.
In cities and towns that use the day to honor indigenous peoples, activities
include pow-wows, traditional dance and lessons about Native American culture.
ALSO:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY! to all my family and friends in Canada today!
Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957. It is a chance for people to give thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes in the past year. (All except New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island)
ALSO:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY! to all my family and friends in Canada today!
Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957. It is a chance for people to give thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes in the past year. (All except New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island)
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