Columbus Day
Columbus Day:
Columbus Day is a United States holiday On Every Second Monday of October. The day is celebrated to commemorate the landing of Christopher Columbus in America in 1492.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2023 | 9th October | Monday | United States |
2023 | 14th October | Monday | United States |
2025 | 13th October | Monday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#ColumbusDay
Related: Other National Days Celebrated on October:
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Why is Columbus Day celebrated?
Columbus Day for the year 2021, will be celebrated on October 11, 2021. Celebration of Columbus Day is a great way to remind ourselves and our kids about the great voyage by Christopher Columbus and learn about the origin of the United States of America. Let’s check about different fun facts, history, and ways to celebrate this beautiful festival.
Christopher Columbus does the celebration of Columbus Day to observe the finding of America on October 12, 1492. The holiday is celebrated in US states and also in a few parts of Puerto Rico, Canada, and in some cities of Spain and Italy.
No doubt, Christopher Columbus was not the first explorer to set foot in the Western Hemisphere, his landing at San Salvador Island was very important. The discovery led to the opening of the settlement of Americans by Europeans. The first celebration of Columbus day, honoring the event was held in 1792, after 400 years of the voyage. At that time, it was known as the Discovery Day. Many cities sponsored parades and banquets to honor the Columbus Day holiday.
In Latin America, #columbusday is celebrated not only as Columbus Day or Discovery day, but also as the Day of the Race. Thus, the day is celebrated to honor different people belonging to different races in Latin America. School children join different parades and fiesta lasts for several days during the celebration.
The day also honors the contributions and achievements of Italian-Americans. People with radical thoughts these days, oppose the celebration of Columbus day because of different controversies that happened centuries ago when Columbus and his party arrived in the United States.
In the 1970, there was a proposal to observe Indigenous People’s Day as an alternative celebration to Columbus Day. Infact, many states have been celebrating Columbus Day as indigenous People’s day since the 1970s.
The holiday celebration had Historical and patriotic connotations attached to it. But, it has been fraught with many complex ethical questions. Following are some of the major reasons for the celebration of Columbus Day:
To celebrate columbian exchange
The voyage of Columbus has shaped much of the world. It also opened up the Columbian exchange between the Western and Eastern Hemisphere. It also brought new foods like tomato and spices from America to the rest of the world. Through the Columbian exchange, horses were also introduced to America and it became an integral part of daily life as well as culture of the native people.
Arrival of European-Style Politics
Some people argue that Columbus’s voyage enabled the arrival of European-style politics into the new world. It also enabled the building of the foundation of the United States of America. Columbus Day is also seen as a landmark in American History and it started the chain of events that led to the colonization of many parts of North America and then led to the foundation of the United States. Due to the Columbus Day controversy, many cities and states have decided for alternative celebrations that include:
Indigenous people’s day: This is observed in place of Columbus day in the state of Seattle, WA, Minneapolis, Berkeley, California, as well as in parts of Alaska.
Native Americans Day: This day is celebrated in South Dakota, and it was spearheaded by Governor George Mickelson to improve the relationship between the indigenous as well as non-indigenous people.
Discoverer’s Day: It is observed annually in Hawaii on the second Monday in October. The day recognizes the Polynesian explorers who settled at the Hawaiian Island. Most schools and businesses also get closed on this day.
How can we observe Columbus Day:
If you are patriotic at heart, there are different ways to celebrate #columbusday.
- Adventure vibes
#columbusday is associated with the great voyager Christopher Columbus. Thus, this day can be observed by making our younger generation aware about the history behind the Columbus day. We can excuse fun and festive aura all around our space and can make lovely arrangements for our friends and family. To bring a fun twist into the celebration, you can add an interesting twist to the decoration.
For example, you can place an old toy ship or create DIY ship with #columbusday heading on it. The whole ambiance and decoration can speak volume about the adventurous voyage led by the great explorer. We can also include some other toys and patriotic themes to make the celebration tempting and appealing.
You can also enrich your surroundings by inclusion of festive flair so that the kids can get excited about the festival and the holiday. Fresh fruits like strawberries and blueberries to match the thematic decorations. You can also add creativity by displaying #columbusday note on the paper napkin. Since Columbus day is a national celebration, the addition of red, blue, and white shades can add patriotic vibes to the celebration.
- Serene ambiance
On Columbus Day, people get a day off from their work. Thus, it is a perfect opportunity to spend beautiful and refreshing moments with your family and friends. You can try to spruce up the ambiance by using symbolic colors in the decoration as well as the elements. This way, you will be able to get a patriotic feel. You can give your indoors the feel of the blue ocean by decking up ambiance with sea hues. In terms of decoration, you can also turn your dining table into an emblem of festival by draping the table with navy blue tablecloth. You can also use royal blue table napkins to achieve the celebratory feel on #columbusday. You can make the place look lovely by choosing a round gold embossed dinner plate and silver cutlery for the feast. Thus, these beautiful elements and decorative pieces will certainly make the holiday special for your family and friends.
- Festive Feast
No celebration is complete without delicious food. When it is a celebration like Columbus day, a lovely dinner with family and friends is something you can’t miss at all. You can give a true patriotic feel to the feast by spreading festive color all around. You can also create a perfect patriotic spot for the feast. You can emulate the waves hitting the seashore of the blue ocean by using a blue tablecloth and white table runner. Believe it or not, decoration adds beautiful vibes to the feast. Try to include earthy tones by placing a greenery garland in the middle. Spread warm radiance by using candles in glass holders. Arrange everything beautifully and enjoy a delicious feast with your family and friends. You can also include a modern and rustic twist to your #columbusday feast.
Interesting facts about Columbus Day:
Following are some of the most interesting facts about Columbus Day
- Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Before this celebration became a federal holiday in 1971, many states in America used to celebrate #columbusday on October 12. The day marks Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to America. Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Guanahani in the Bahamas on this day in 1492. As per records, Christopher Columbus and a crew of 90 more people started sailing about 10 weeks earlier aboard their ships named-Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.
- One of the most interesting facts about Columbus Day is that many Historians believe that Christopher Columbus was neither the first person, nor the first European to discover America. Insead, they believe that indigenous people had been living in America for centuries, much before Columbus arrived in America.
- Many cities like Seattle, Los Angees, Phoenix, San Francisco, and states like Minnesota, Alaska, Vermont, and Oregon have replaced the #columbusday with Indigenous Peoples Day. The main aim of the movement was to bring awareness about Christopher Columbus’s treatment of indigenous people and to celebrate and respect the indigenous culture. Berkeley was the first city to adopt the Indigenous People’s Day in 1992. Instead of Indigenous People’s Day, Hawaii celebrated Discoverer’s day on the second Monday of October. South Dakota celebrates Columbus Day as Native American Day.
History of Columbus Day:
As per the history behind Columbus Day, Christopher Columbus is credited with the discovery of America. No doubt, many people were residing in America much before the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. But, today, these people are called Native Americans.
Many people believe that Christopher Columbus was not even the first European to reach America as Leif Ericsson of Vikings had already visited the place. But, it was Columbus’s journey and discovery that led to the colonization of America by Europeans. Portugese, English, French, and Spanish sent many explorers to America after the return of Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus reached the land of America for the very first time on October 12, 1492 and the anniversary of this day is celebrated as #columbusday since then.
The 300th and the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day in 1792 and 1982 were big events in the History of America. But, the day was officially announced as a federal holiday not until 1937. Initially, the holiday was declared for October 12 every year, but it was later on changed to the second Monday of October in 1971. Christopher Columbus’s ship Santa Maria, wrecked on the coast of America and never made a return voyage. The day is called the Dia de la Hispanidad or Fiesta National in Spain.
The first state to officially declare Columbus day as holiday was Colorado. The state declared a holiday for Columbus day in 1906. Columbus day is one of the most celebrated days in America as businesses and other offices are closed on this day. There are many exciting ways to celebrate the #columbusday with your family, friends, and loved ones. Hold an indoor camp and listen to the exciting voyage of Christopher Columbus from your elders. You can also turn your living room into a theatre and watch exciting movies and documentaries about Christopher Columbus. Don’t let this holiday just be for the books. Make most of this day by including fun and adventurous activity just like Christopher Columbus.