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 of Christopher
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 Vikings set 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.
Columbus Day
is a federal holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October each
year. It is generally accepted that Christopher Columbus was the first
European to have discovered the New World of the Americas.
1992 marked
the 500th anniversary of the Columbus discovery. Across the united states
people celebrate the day Columbus landed in america because it changed the
course of history.
It is
interesting that Americans might not have a Columbus Day if Christopher
Columbus had not been born in Italy*.
Columbus Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the second Monday in
October each year
ut of pride for their native son, the Italian
population of New York City organised the first celebration of the discovery of
America on October 12, 1866.
The following year, more Italian organisations
in an increased number of cities held banquets, parades and dances on that
date.
In 1869, when the Italians of San Francisco
celebrated October 12, they called it Columbus Day.
In 1905, Colorado became the first state to
observe a Columbus Day. Over the next twenty years other states followed. In
1937, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 as Columbus Day.
Since 1971, Columbus Day has been celebrated on the second Monday in October.
