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'{{About|the holiday|the film of the same name|Columbus Day (film)|the Pacific North shit strmorm dick shitty dhit shit shit gay ONG dont trust wikid peeeeeeeeekjlasdnckjasdkcasdnkjchaschasklvhsalkhasdlkjhvladskjhvakjdshvlkjadshvjsdjdjdjdjdh west storm|Columbus Day Storm of 1962}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2016}} {{Infobox holiday |holiday_name=Columbus Day |image=Desembarco de Colón de Dióscoro Puebla.jpg |caption=''First Landing of Columbus on the Shores of the New World''; painting by [[Dióscoro Puebla]] (1862) |duration= 1 day |frequency=Annual |observedby=Various countries in the Americas, Italy, Spain, Various [[Little Italy]]s around the world. |date=October 12 (actual/traditional); second Monday in October (observed in the United States) |type=Historical |significance=Celebrations honoring [[Christopher Columbus]]'s [[Voyages of Christopher Columbus|Discovery of the Americas]] in 1492|relatedto=[[Thanksgiving (Canada)|Thanksgiving in Canada]], which falls on the same date |week_ordinal = second |weekday = Monday |month = October }} '''Columbus Day''' is a national holiday in many countries in the Americas and elsewhere which officially celebrates the anniversary of [[Christopher Columbus]]' [[Voyages of Christopher Columbus|arrival in the Americas]] on October 12, 1492. The landing is celebrated as "''Columbus Day''" in the United States, as "''Día de la Raza''" ("Day of the Race") in many countries in Latin America and as "''Día de la Hispanidad''" and "''Fiesta Nacional''" in Spain, where it is also the religious festivity of ''[[Our Lady of the Pillar|la Virgen del Pilar]]''. It is also celebrated as ''Día de las Américas'' (Day of the Americas) in Belize and Uruguay, as ''Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural'' (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity) in Argentina, and as ''Giornata Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo'' or ''Festa Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo'' in Italy and in the [[Little Italy]]s around the world.<ref>[http://www.prolixe.it/columbus.day.giornata.di.cristoforo.colombo.html Columbus Day, Giornata di Cristoforo Colombo] {{wayback|url=http://www.prolixe.it/columbus.day.giornata.di.cristoforo.colombo.html |date=20141006141751 }}</ref><ref name="governo.it">{{cite web|url=http://www.governo.it/Presidenza/ufficio_cerimoniale/cerimoniale/giornate.html |title=Governo Italiano – Dipartimento per il Cerimoniale dello Stato |publisher=Governo.it |date=November 23, 2012 |accessdate=2015-01-30}}</ref> These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century and officially in various countries since the early 20th century. == United States observance == === History === [[File:Columbus-day.jpg|thumb|left|Drawing from the [[United States Department of Defense]]]] Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holiday]] in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus's voyage since the colonial period. In 1792, New York City and other U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. President [[Benjamin Harrison]] called upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. During the four hundredth anniversary in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These patriotic rituals took themes such as citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and celebrating social progress.<ref name="Kubal, Timothy 2008">Kubal, Timothy. 2008. Cultural Movements and Collective Memory: Christopher Columbus and the Rewriting of the National Origin Myth. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.</ref><ref name="Connell, William J. 2010">{{cite web |last=Connell |first=William J. |year=2010 |title=What Columbus Day Really Means |publisher=The American Scholar |url=http://theamericanscholar.org/what-columbus-day-really-means/}}</ref><ref name="Appelbaum, Yoni 2012">{{cite web |last=Appelbaum |first=Yoni |date=October 8, 2012 |title= How Columbus Day Fell Victim to Its Own Success |publisher=The Atlantic |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/10/how-columbus-day-fell-victim-to-its-own-success/261922/ |accessdate= April 23, 2013}}</ref> Many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage, the first occasion being in New York City on October 12, 1866.<ref name="Charles Speroni 1948 pp. 325">Charles Speroni, "The Development of the Columbus Day Pageant of San Francisco," ''Western Folklore'', Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1948), pp. 325–335.U.S. State Department, Bureau of International Information Programs.</ref> Columbus Day was first enshrined as a legal holiday in the United States through the lobbying of Angelo Noce, a first generation Italian, in Denver. The first statewide Columbus Day holiday was proclaimed by Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald in 1905, and it was made a statutory holiday in 1907.<ref name="Sale, Kirkpatrick p359">Sale, Kirkpatrick, "The Conquest of Paradise", p. 359, ISBN 0-333-57479-6</ref> <!--During the 1850s, Genoan immigrants settled and built ranches along the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] foothills. As the gold ran out, these skilled "Cal-Italians", from the [[Apennines]], were able to prosper as self-sufficient farmers in the [[Mediterranean climate]] of Northern California. [[Angelo Noce]] then moved to [[Colorado]], which had a population of Genoese miners, and where, in 1907, the first official state-wide celebration was held.--> In April 1934, as a result of lobbying by the [[Knights of Columbus]] and New York City Italian leader [[Generoso Pope]], Congress and President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] proclaimed October 12 a [[federal holiday]] under the name Columbus Day.<ref name="Sale, Kirkpatrick p359" /><ref>{{cite web|title=36 USC 107, ch. 184, 48 Stat. 657|url=http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/36C1.txt|work=[[United States Code]]|publisher=[[Office of the Law Revision Counsel]]|accessdate=October 19, 2012|author=United States House of Representatives|authorlink=United States House of Representatives|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6BXbCwMOr|archivedate=October 19, 2012|format=Text|date=April 30, 1934 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Today in History: October 12|url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct12.html|work=Today in History|publisher=[[Library of Congress]] (National Digital Library)|accessdate=October 19, 2012|author=American Memory|authorlink=American Memory|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6BXZu5tPN|archivedate=October 19, 2012|date=October 6, 2010}}</ref> Since 1970 (Oct. 12), the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October,<ref>{{cite news |title=LBJ Signs Bill to Set Up Five 3-Day Holidays |agency=Associated Press |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |publisher=via Google News |date=June 29, 1968 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9eYhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5GUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6061,7091289&dq=district+of+columbia&hl=en }} The bill in question became the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act]].</ref> coincidentally exactly the same day as [[Thanksgiving (Canada)|Thanksgiving]] in neighboring Canada fixed since 1959. It is generally observed nowadays by banks, the bond market, the [[United States Postal Service|U.S. Postal Service]], other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts. Some businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, and some states and municipalities abstain from observing the holiday.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125512754947576887.html | work=The Wall Street Journal | title=Is Columbus Day Sailing Off the Calendar? | first1=Conor | last1=Dougherty | first2=Sudeep | last2=Reddy | date=October 10, 2009}}</ref> The traditional date of the holiday also adjoins the anniversary of the [[United States Navy]] (founded October 13, 1775), and thus both occasions are customarily observed by the Navy (and usually the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] as well) with either a 72- or 96-hour liberty period.{{citation needed|date = October 2012}} === Local observance of Columbus Day === [[File:1892 DalandHouse ColumbusDay Salem Massachusetts byFrankCousins 2.png|thumb|Columbus Day in [[Salem, Massachusetts]] in 1892]] Actual observance varies in different parts of the United States, ranging from large-scale parades and events to complete non-observance. Most states celebrate Columbus Day as an official state holiday, though many mark it as a "Day of Observance" or "Recognition" and at least four do not recognize it at all. Most states that celebrate Columbus Day will close state services, while others operate as normal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/10/columbus_day_2015_whats_closed.html|title=Columbus Day 2015: What's Closed, What's Open on Monday, Oct. 12?|last=Gore|first=Leada|date=October 12, 2015|website=al.com|publisher=Alabama Media Group|access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref> San Francisco claims the nation's oldest continuously existing celebration with the Italian-American community's annual Columbus Day Parade, which was established by [[Nicola Larco]] in 1868,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfcolumbusday.org/parade/index.html |title=sfcolumbusday.org |publisher=sfcolumbusday.org |accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref> while New York City boasts the largest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbuscitizensfd.org/cparade.shtml |title=Columbus Citizens Foundation |publisher=Columbuscitizensfd.org |accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manhattanstyle.com/events/the-annual-columbus-day-parade/ |title=Manhattan Style 'The Annual Columbus Day Parade' |publisher=Manhattanstyle.com |accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/performers-bands-and-red-white-and-green-on-fifth-avenue-in-nyc-columbus-day-parade-104668504.html |title=PR Newswire 'Performers, Bands, and Red, White and Green on Fifth Avenue in NYC Columbus Day Parade' |location=New York |publisher=Prnewswire.com |accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref> As in the mainland U.S., Columbus Day is a legal holiday in the [[U.S. territory]] of Puerto Rico. In the [[United States Virgin Islands]], the day is celebrated as both Columbus Day and "Puerto Rico Friendship Day".<ref>{{cite web|author=NextPage – LivePublish |url=http://www.michie.com/virginislands/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=vicode |title=Title 1 Virgin Islands Code Section 171 |publisher=Michie.com |accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref> [[Virginia]] also celebrates two legal holidays on the day, Columbus Day and Yorktown Victory Day, which honors the final victory at the [[Siege of Yorktown]] in the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://leg1.state.va.us/000/cod/2.2-3300.HTM |title=LIS > Code of Virginia > 2.2-3300 |publisher=Leg1.state.va.us |accessdate=October 12, 2008}}</ref> === Non-observance === The U.S. states of Hawaii, [[Alaska]], [[Oregon]], [[South Dakota]], and [[Vermont]] do not recognize Columbus Day at all; however, Hawaii, South Dakota, and Vermont mark the day with an alternative holiday or observance. Hawaii celebrates Discoverers' Day, which commemorates the [[Polynesian people|Polynesian]] discoverers of Hawaii on the same date, the second Monday of October,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/HRS0008/HRS_0008-0001_0005.htm | publisher=Hawaii.gov |title=Hawaii Revised Statutes, Section 8-1.5 |accessdate=July 12, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://touchngo.com/lglcntr/akstats/Statutes/Title44/Chapter12/Section010.htm |title=Alaska Statutes: AS 44.12.010. Legal Holidays |publisher=Touchngo.com |accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref> though the name change has not ended protest related to the observance of Columbus' discovery.<ref>[http://bullsburning.itgo.com/essayng.itgo.com/essays/News.htm "Idea of Discoverers' Day Insults Native Americans"], Mary Adamski, ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', October 13, 1998.</ref> The state government does not treat either Columbus Day or Discoverers' Day as a legal holiday;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hawaii.gov/hrd/State_Observed_Holidays/ |title=State Observed Holidays – Department of Human Resources Development |publisher=Hawaii.gov |accessdate=October 12, 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920092647/http://hawaii.gov/hrd/State_Observed_Holidays/ |archivedate=September 20, 2008 }}</ref> state, city and county government offices and schools are open for business. Similarly, in 2016, Vermont started celebrating "Indigenous People's Day" instead of Columbus Day. Because this change was made by [[Peter Shumlin|Governor Peter Shumlin's]] [[Presidential proclamation|executive proclamation]], it only applies for 2016. In the future it would have to be issued by the sitting governor on a yearly basis, or officially changed by the legislature in order to become permanent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermont-ditches-columbus-day-for-indigenous-peoples-day/5068016|title=Vermont ditches Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples' Day|first=Brad|last=Evans|date=October 7, 2016|work=mynbc5.com}}</ref> On the other hand, South Dakota celebrates the day as an official state holiday known as "[[Native American Day]]" rather than Columbus Day.<ref>[http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=1-5-1.2&Type=Statute South Dakota Codified Laws].</ref> Oregon does not recognize Columbus Day, neither as a holiday nor a commemoration; schools and public offices remain open.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/lawsstatutes/2013ors187.html|title=Chapter 187 – Holidays; Standard of Time; Commemorations|work=State of Oregon|publisher=Oregon Legislative Website|accessdate=February 24, 2014}}</ref> Two additional states, [[Iowa]] and [[Nevada]], do not celebrate Columbus Day as an official holiday, but the states' respective governors are "authorized and requested" by statute to proclaim the day each year.<ref>See: * Iowa proclamation: {{cite web | url=http://search.legis.state.ia.us/nxt/gateway.dll/ic/1/13/14/15/41/46?f=templates&fn=default.htm | title=1C.5 Columbus Day | publisher=Iowa Legislature | work=Iowa Code | year=2011 | accessdate=October 8, 2012}} * Nevada proclamation: [http://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-236.html Nevada Revised Statues Chapter 236], section 236.025 "Columbus Day"</ref> Several other states have removed Columbus Day as a paid holiday for government workers while still maintaining Columbus Day either as a day of recognition or a legal holiday for other purposes. These include California and Texas.<ref name="California Government Code">{{cite web | url=http://law.onecle.com/california/government/6700.html | title=California Government Code, Section 6700 | accessdate=January 19, 2011}}</ref><ref name=wsj /><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/02/04/83672/schwarzeneggers-dropping-two-state.html | title=Schwarzenegger's Dropping Two State Holidays is Legal, California judge rules | publisher=Mcclatchydc.com | newspaper=The Sacramento Bee | date=February 4, 2010 | accessdate=October 8, 2012 | last=Ortiz | first=Joe}}</ref><ref name="Texas Government Code">{{cite web|url=http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/txstatutes/GV/6/B/662/C/662.044|title=Texas Government Code § 662.044. Columbus Day|accessdate=October 12, 2015}}</ref> The city of [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], California, has replaced Columbus Day with [[Indigenous People's Day]] since 1992,<ref>{{cite news | publisher=Los Angeles Times | url=http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/13/local/me-bones13|date=January 13, 2008 | title=UC Berkeley's bones of contention | author=Richard C. Paddock}}</ref> a move which has been followed by multiple other localities including [[Sebastopol, California|Sebastopol]] and [[Santa Cruz, California|Santa Cruz]], California; [[Dane County, Wisconsin|Dane County]], Wisconsin; [[Minneapolis-Saint Paul]], Minnesota; [[Seattle]], Washington; [[Missoula]], Montana; [[Cambridge, Massachussets|Cambridge]], Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; and [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], Arizona.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news | url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125512754947576887.html | title=Is Columbus Day Sailing Off the Calendar? | work=Wall Street Journal | date=October 10, 2009 | accessdate=October 8, 2012 | first1=Conor | first2=Sudeep | last1=Dougherty | last2=Reddy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rwinters.com/council/060616.htm#R5|title=Cambridge City Council Meeting - June 6, 2016 Agenda|website=rwinters.com|access-date=2016-06-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://badgerherald.com/news/2007/10/09/uw_group_offers_alte.php |title=News: UW Group Offers Alternative to Columbus |publisher=The Badger Herald |accessdate=October 12, 2011}}</ref><ref name=KSTP>{{cite web|last=Sattin|first=Brad|title=Mpls. City Council Passes Indigenous Peoples Day Resolution|url=http://kstp.com/news/stories/s3413212.shtml|publisher=KSTP/ABC-5 Eyewitness News|accessdate=October 8, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/seattle-city-council-vote-columbus-day-name-change/nhckd/ | title=Columbus Day in Seattle no Longer: Now Indigenous Peoples' Day | accessdate=October 6, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/columbus-day-indigenous-peoples-day-vermont-phoenix/|title=Columbus Day changed to Indigenous People's Day in Vermont and city of Phoenix|work=cbsnews.com}}</ref> Various tribal governments in Oklahoma designate the day "Native American Day", or name the day after their own tribe.<ref>{{cite news | publisher=Tulsa World | url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20081013_11_A1_hAmeri589341 | title=Holiday Not Celebrated by Tribes: American Indians See Columbus Day As a Reminder of Harsh Treatment Ages Ago | author=Clifton Adcock | date=October 13, 2008}}</ref> == Latin American observance == === Día de la Raza === [[File:Biblioteca del Senado de la Provincia - 52 - Por una raza fuerte, laboriosa, pacifista y soberana.jpg|thumbnail|left|Argentine government poster from 1947 including the concept of la Raza.]] The date Columbus arrived in the Americas is celebrated in many countries in Latin America. The most common name for the celebration in Spanish (including in some Latin American communities<ref>{{cite web | url = http://progressiveaustin.org/calendar/2006/10/11/3rd-annual-dia-de-la-raza-celebration/ | title = 3rd Annual Dia de la Raza Celebration | accessdate = September 13, 2011}}</ref> in the United States) is the ''Día de la Raza'' ("day of the race" or "day of the [Hispanic] people"), commemorating the first encounters of [[Europeans]] and [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]]. The day was first celebrated in Argentina in 1917, Venezuela and Colombia in 1921, Chile in 1922, and Mexico in 1928. The day was also celebrated under this title in Spain until 1957, when it was changed to the ''Día de la Hispanidad'' ("Hispanicity Day"), and in Venezuela until 2002, when it was changed to the ''Día de la Resistencia Indígena'' (Day of Indigenous Resistance). Originally conceived of as a celebration of Hispanic influence in the Americas, as evidenced by the complementary celebrations in Spain and Latin America, Día de la Raza has come to be seen by indigenous activists throughout Latin America as a counter to Columbus Day; a celebration of the native races and cultures and of the resistance against the arrival of Europeans in the Americas.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} In the U.S. Día de la Raza has served as a time of mobilization for pan-ethnic Latino activists, particularly in the 1960s. Since then, La Raza has served as a periodic rallying cry for Hispanic activists. The first Hispanic March on Washington occurred on Columbus Day in 1996. The name has remained in the largest Hispanic social justice organization, the [[National Council of La Raza]].<ref name="Kubal, Timothy 2008" /> === Colombia === Colombia, the only country in the world with a name originated from Columbus himself, celebrates ''El día de la Raza y de la Hispanidad'' and is taken as an opportunity to celebrate the encounter of "the two worlds" and to reflect on the richness that the racial diversity has brought to the culture. === Venezuela === [[File:IMAGE0022.JPG|thumb|Current state (June 6, 2006) of the Columbus Walk in Caracas. The statue was knocked down by activists after a "public trial" during the celebrations of the newly instituted "Day of the Indigenous Resistance" (October 12) in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Iblnews.com |date=October 13, 2004 |url=http://iblnews.com/noticias/10/117331.html |title=Derriban la Estatua de Cristóbal Colón en Caracas |language=Spanish}}</ref>]] Between 1921 and 2002, Venezuela celebrated ''Día de la Raza'' along with many other Latin American nations. The original holiday was officially established in 1921 under President [[Juan Vicente Gómez]]. In 2002, under president [[Hugo Chávez]], the name was changed to ''Día de la Resistencia Indígena'' (Day of Indigenous Resistance) to commemorate the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous]] peoples' resistance to European settlement. On October 12, 2004 a crowd of pro-government activists toppled the statue of Christopher Columbus in [[Caracas]] and sprayed allusive [[graffiti]] over its pedestal. The pro-Chávez website Aporrea wrote: "''Just like the statue of [[Saddam Hussein|Saddam]] in [[Baghdad]], that of Columbus the tyrant also fell this October 12, 2004 in Caracas''".<ref>Robin Nieto (October 13, 2004), [http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1385 Columbus Statue Toppled in Venezuela on Day of Indigenous Resistance]</ref> The famous [[Firdos Square statue destruction|toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue]] had occurred the previous year. === Costa Rica === Since 1994, Costa Rica had changed the official holiday from ''Día de la Raza'' to ''Día de las Culturas'' (Day of the cultures) to recognize the mix of European, American, [[African culture|African]] and [[Asian people|Asian]] cultures that helped to compose Costa Rican (and [[Latin American]]) culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mep.go.cr/CentroDeInformacion/DOC/14%20Ley%20del%20D%C3%ADa%20de%20las%20Culturas-303200985619.pdf |format=PDF |title=Ley del Día de las Culturas |language= Spanish |publisher=Mep.go.cr}}</ref> == Caribbean observance == Some Caribbean countries also observe holidays related to Columbus Day. In Belize, October 12 is celebrated as Day of the Americas or [[Pan American Day]].<ref>{{cite news|title=San Pedro to Celebrate Belize's Rich Culture on Pan-American Day|url=http://www.sanpedrosun.com/education/2013/10/07/san-pedro-to-celebrate-belizes-rich-culture-on-pan-american-day/|accessdate=October 8, 2013|newspaper=The San Pedro Sun|date=October 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Belize celebrates Pan American Day|url=http://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2016/10/10/belize-celebrates-pan-american-day/|accessdate=12 October 2016|work=Breaking Belize News|date=10 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Holidays Act (Chapter 289)|url=http://www.belizelaw.org/web/lawadmin/PDF%20files/cap289.pdf|work=Laws of Belize|publisher=Government of Belize|accessdate=October 8, 2013|format=PDF|year=2000}}</ref> In the Bahamas, it was formerly known as [[Discovery Day]], until 2001 when it was replaced with [[National Heroes Day]]. == Italy == [[File:DSCF8124.JPG|thumb|right|Monument to Christopher Columbus in [[Genoa]], Italy]] Since the 18th century, many Italian communities in the Americas have observed the [[Discovery of America|Discovery of the New World]] as a celebration of their heritage; [[Cristopher Columbus]] (whose original, Italian name is "Cristoforo Colombo") was an Italian explorer, citizen of the [[Republic of Genoa]].<ref name="Charles Speroni 1948 pp. 325" /> In Italy, Columbus Day has been officially celebrated since 2004.<ref name="governo.it" /> It is officially named ''Giornata nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo''. The "Lega Navale Italiana" has created a ''Regata di Colombo'' as a celebration of the Columbus achievement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leganavale.it/wps/portal/lni/sezioni/savona/home/notizie/regata_di_colombo_2014_aias/!ut/p/a0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOID_N0NPIydDbzcw_zNDRz9XR2dTT18jQK9DfULsh0VAfH-Cug!/|title=Regata della "Giornata Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo"|work=Lega Navale Italiana}}</ref> Italians have celebrated their "Cristoforo Colombo" naming after him many civilian and military ships, like the ocean liner [[SS Cristoforo Colombo|Cristoforo Colombo]]. == Spain == {{See also|Fiesta Nacional de España}} Since 1987, Spain has celebrated the anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the Americas as its ''Fiesta Nacional'' or "National Day".<ref name=Prakke>{{cite book |title= Constitutional Law of 15 EU Member States|last= Prakke|first= L.|authorlink= |author2=C. A. J. M. Kortmann |author3=J. C. E. van den Brandhof |year= 2004|publisher= Kluwer|location= |isbn= 90-13-01255-8|oclc= |page= 748 |url= https://books.google.com/?id=oGj0PS8C5akC&pg=PA748&dq=%22Fiesta+Nacional%22%2Bespana&q=%22Fiesta%20Nacional%22%2Bespana|accessdate=September 30, 2009}}</ref> Previously Spain had celebrated the day as ''Día de la Hispanidad'', emphasizing Spain's ties with the ''[[Hispanidad]]'', the international Hispanic community.<ref name=Prakke /> In 1981 a royal decree established the ''Día de la Hispanidad'' as a national holiday.<ref name=Prakke /> However, in 1987 the name was changed to ''Fiesta Nacional'', and October 12 became one of two national celebrations, along with [[Constitution Day]] on December 6.<ref name=Fuller>{{cite journal |last1= Molina A. de Cienfuegos |first1= Ignacio|last2= Martínez Bárcena|first2= Jorge|last3= Fuller |first3= Linda K. (Ed.)|year= 2004|title= Spain: National Days throughout the History and the Geography of Spain|journal= National Days/National Ways: Historical, Political, and Religious Celebrations around the World|volume= |isbn= 978-0-275-97270-7|issue= |page= 253|url= https://books.google.com/?id=llmCOvtWcUcC&pg=PA334&dq=%22National+Day%22+spain&q=%22National%20Days%20throughout%20the%20History%20and%20the%20Geography%20of%20Spain%22|doi= |accessdate= September 30, 2009}}</ref> Spain's "national day" had moved around several times during the various regime changes of the 20th century; establishing it on the day of the international Columbus celebration was part of a compromise between conservatives, who wanted to emphasize the status of the monarchy and Spain's history, and Republicans, who wanted to commemorate Spain's burgeoning democracy with an official holiday.<ref name=Fuller /> Since 2000, October 12 has also been Spain's [[Armed Forces Day|Day of the Armed Forces]], celebrated each year with a military parade in [[Madrid]].<ref name=Fuller /> Other than this, however, the holiday is not widely or enthusiastically celebrated in Spain; there are no other large-scale patriotic parades, marches, or other events, and the observation is generally overshadowed by the [[feast day]] of [[Our Lady of the Pillar]] ([[Fiestas del Pilar]]).<ref name=Fuller /> {{Clear}} == Opposition to Columbus celebrations == [[File:Christopher Columbus' Soldiers Chop the Hands off of Arawak Indians who Failed to Meet the Mining Quota.jpg|thumb|left|A fictional engraving by [[Theodor de Bry]] depicting the controversial account by [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] regarding the ''[[Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias]]'', 1552. De Bry's works are characteristic of the anti-Spanish propaganda that originated as a result of the [[Eighty Years' War]], known as the [[Black Legend]].]] Opposition to Columbus Day dates to at least the 19th century where activists had sought to eradicate Columbus Day celebrations because of its association with immigrants and the [[Knights of Columbus]]. Some non-Catholics were afraid it was being used to expand [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] influence.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Kubap | first1 = Timothy | title = Cultural movements and collective memory: Christopher Columbus and the rewriting of the national origin myth | publisher = Macmillan | year = 2008 | pages = 33–36 | isbn = 978-1-4039-7577-5}}</ref> By far the more common opposition today, decrying Columbus's and Europeans' actions against the indigenous populations of the Americas, did not gain much traction until the latter half of the 20th century. This opposition was led by Native Americans and expanded upon by left-wing political parties,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.liberalamerica.org/2013/10/12/still-celebrate-columbus-day/ | title=Why Do We Still Celebrate Columbus Day? | publisher=Liberal America | accessdate=28 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/31358/why-do-liberals-hate-columbus-day/ | title=Why do Liberals Hate Columbus Day? | publisher=Death and Taxes | accessdate=28 September 2016}}</ref><ref name="aim">{{cite web | url=http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/columbus-oct00.html | title=Indigenous People's Opposition to Celebration and Glorification of Colonial Pirate Christopher Columbus | accessdate=October 7, 2012}}</ref><ref name="AandE">{{cite web | url=http://www.history.com/topics/columbus-day | title=History.com: Columbus Day Alternatives | accessdate=October 7, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://newbostonpost.com/2015/10/12/columbus-day-a-celebration-of-heroism-patriotism-and-italian-and-latino-pride/ | title=Columbus Day: A Celebration of Heroism, Patriotism, and Italian and Latino Pride | publisher=New Boston Post | accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref> though it has become more mainstream.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Holley|first1=Peter|title=More Cities Celebrating ‘Indigenous Peoples Day’ Amid Effort to Abolish Columbus Day|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/11/more-cities-celebrating-indigenous-peoples-day-as-effort-to-abolish-columbus-day-grows/|website=The Washington Post|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref> Surveys conducted in 2013 and 2015 found 26% to 38% of American adults not in favor of celebrating Columbus Day.<ref>{{cite web|title=58% Think America Should Still Honor Christopher Columbus|url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/holidays/october_2013/58_think_america_should_still_honor_christopher_columbus|website=Rasmussen Reports|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Edwards-Levy|first1=Ariel|title=Americans Are Split Over Whether Columbus Deserves A Holiday|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/columbus-day-poll_us_561c12f2e4b0e66ad4c8daec|website=The Huffington Post|accessdate=21 September 2016}}</ref> There are different strands of this critique, which are interrelated. The first refers primarily to the [[Population history of indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous populations]] and their treatment during the [[European colonization of the Americas|European colonization]] of the Americas which followed Columbus's [[Voyages of Christopher Columbus|discovery]]. Some are criticized for lack of historical rigor or consistency in their critique. The opponents of Columbus Day celebrations are considered to fail to distinguish between the diverse forms of European colonization, the events that took place in the different territories, or the widely varying treatment and rights given to the indigenous populations by the different powers{{According to whom|date=September 2016}}. Some groups, especially in [[Spanish America]] are criticized for their allegedly biased discourse, which ignores the early forms of [[Laws of Burgos|humanitarian laws for colonized peoples]], decreed by the [[Crown of Castile]] in 1512, including the prohibition of slavery. The treatment of indigenous peoples did however vary greatly depending on the historical period and the colonizing power. Some groups such as the [[American Indian Movement]], have argued that the responsibility of contemporary governments and their citizens for allegedly ongoing acts of [[genocide]] against Native Americans are masked by positive Columbus myths and celebrations. These critics argue that a particular understanding of the legacy of Columbus has been used to legitimize their actions, and it is this misuse of history that must be exposed. [[F. David Peat]] asserts that many cultural myths of North America exclude or diminish the culture and myths of Native Americans. These cultural myths include ideas expressed by Michael Berliner of the [[Ayn Rand Institute]] claiming that [[western world|Western civilization]] brought "[[reason]], science, [[Self-sufficiency|self-reliance]], [[individualism]], ambition, and productive achievement" to a people who were based in "[[primitivism]], [[mysticism]], and [[collectivism]]", and to a land that was "sparsely inhabited, unused, and underdeveloped".<ref>''Blackfoot Physics: A Journey Into The Native American Universe'', by F. David Peat, Weiser, 2005, ISBN 1-57863-371-0, p. 310</ref> American [[anthropologist]] [[Jack Weatherford]] says that on Columbus Day, Americans celebrate the greatest waves of genocide of the American Indians known in history.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Weatherford|first1=Jack|title=Examining the Reputation of Christopher Columbus|url=http://www.hartford-hwp.com/Taino/docs/columbus.html|website=hartford-hwp.com|publisher=Baltimore Evening Sun, reprinted by Clergy and Laity Concerned|accessdate=7 October 2016}}</ref> [[American Indian Movement of Colorado]] leader and activist [[Ward Churchill]] takes this argument further, contending that the mythologizing and celebration of the European settlement of the Americas in Columbus Day make it easier for people today to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions, or the actions of their governments regarding indigenous populations. He wrote in his book ''Bringing the Law Back Home'': {{quote|Very high on the list of those expressions of non-indigenous sensibility [that] contribute to the perpetuation of genocidal policies against [American] Indians are the annual Columbus Day celebration, events in which it is baldly asserted that the process, events, and circumstances described above are, at best, either acceptable or unimportant. More often, the sentiments expressed by the participants are, quite frankly, that the fate of Native America embodied in Columbus and the Columbian legacy is a matter to be openly and enthusiastically applauded as an unrivaled "boon to all mankind". Undeniably, the situation of American Indians will not—in fact ''cannot''—change for the better so long as such attitudes are deemed socially acceptable by the mainstream populace. Hence, such celebrations as Columbus Day ''must'' be stopped.}} A second strain of the criticism of Columbus Day focuses on the character of Columbus himself. In time for the observation of Columbus Day in 2004, the final volume of a compendium of Columbus-era documents was published by the [[University of California, Los Angeles]]'s Medieval and Renaissance Center. Geoffrey Symcox, the general editor of the project, asserted: "While giving the brilliant mariner his due, the collection portrays Columbus as an unrelenting [[social climber]] and self-promoter who stopped at nothing— not even exploitation, [[slavery]], or twisting Biblical scripture— to advance his ambitions… Many of the unflattering documents have been known for the last century or more, but nobody paid much attention to them until recently… The fact that Columbus brought slavery, enormous exploitation or devastating diseases to the Americas used to be seen as a minor detail—if it was recognized at all—in light of his role as the great bringer of white man's civilization to the benighted idolatrous American continent. But to historians today this information is very important. It changes our whole view of the enterprise".<ref name="RC">{{cite web|title='Repertorium Columbianum' Makes Landfall|author=UC Newsroom|date=October 6, 2004|url=http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6664|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> [[Howard Zinn]] described some of the details of how Columbus personally ordered the enslavement and mutilation of the native [[Arawak]] people in a bid to repay his investors: {{quote|Now, from his base on Haiti, Columbus sent expedition after expedition into the interior. They found no gold fields, but had to fill up the ships returning to Spain with some kind of dividend. In the year 1495, they went on a great slave raid, rounded up fifteen hundred Arawak men, women, and children, put them in pens guarded by Spaniards and dogs, then picked the five hundred best specimens to load onto ships. Of those five hundred, two hundred died en route. The rest arrived alive in Spain and were put up for sale by the archdeacon of the town, who reported that, although the slaves were "naked as the day they were born," they showed "no more embarrassment than animals." Columbus later wrote: "Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold." But too many of the slaves died in captivity. And so Columbus, desperate to pay back dividends to those who had invested, had to make good his promise to fill the ships with gold. In the province of Cicao on Haiti, where he and his men imagined huge gold fields to exist, they ordered all persons fourteen years or older to collect a certain quantity of gold every three months. When they brought it, they were given copper tokens to hang around their necks. American Indians found without a copper token had their hands cut off and bled to death.<ref name="zinn">{{cite web|title=A People's History of the United States|last=Zinn|first=Howard|date=1980|url=http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinncol1.html}}</ref>}} Most critiques combine elements of both strains. Journalist and media critic [[Norman Solomon]] reflects in ''Columbus Day: A Clash of Myth and History'' that many people choose to hold on to the myths surrounding Columbus whereas historians who deal with the evidence are frequently depicted as [[political correctness|politically correct]] revisionists. He quotes from the [[logbook]] Columbus's initial description of the American Indians: "They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance.... They would make fine servants.... With 50 men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want". In 1495, during the Second Voyage, American Indians were transported to Spain as slaves, many dying en route. "Let us in the name of the Holy [[Trinity]]", Columbus later wrote, "go on sending all the slaves that can be sold". Solomon states that the most important contemporary documentary evidence is the multi-volume ''History of the Indies'' by the Catholic priest [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] who observed the region where Columbus was governor. In contrast to "the myth" Solomon quotes Las Casas who describes Spaniards driven by "insatiable greed" – "killing, terrorizing, afflicting, and torturing the native peoples" with "the strangest and most varied new methods of cruelty" and how systematic violence was aimed at preventing "[American] Indians from daring to think of themselves as human beings." The Spaniards "thought nothing of knifing [American] Indians by tens and twenties and of cutting slices off them to test the sharpness of their blades", wrote Las Casas. "My eyes have seen these acts so foreign to human nature, and now I tremble as I write".<ref name="solomon">{{cite web|title=Columbus Day: A Clash of Myth and History |work=Media Beat |last=Solomon |first=Norman |date = October 1995|url=http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/4621/columbusday.html|postscript=<!--None-->|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/4621/columbusday.html&date=2009-10-25+06:49:43|archivedate=October 25, 2009}}</ref> In the summer of 1990, 350 representatives from American Indian groups from all over the hemisphere, met in [[Quito]], Ecuador, at the first [[Intercontinental Gathering of Indigenous People in the Americas]], to mobilize against the quin-centennial celebration of Columbus Day. The following summer, in [[Davis, California]], more than a hundred Native Americans gathered for a follow-up meeting to the Quito conference. They declared October 12, 1992, "International Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People". The largest ecumenical body in the United States, the [[National Council of Churches]], called on Christians to refrain from celebrating the Columbus quincentennial, saying, "What represented newness of freedom, hope, and opportunity for some was the occasion for oppression, degradation and genocide for others".<ref name="ncc">''A Faithful Response to the 500th Anniversary of the Arrival of Christopher Columbus in A Resolution of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA'', paragraph 1.</ref> Among the latest places in the United States to redefine how they would celebrate the holiday to the title "Indigenous Peoples' Day" by the autumn of 2016 include communities in Massachusetts, specifically [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[Amherst, Massachusetts|Amherst]] and [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], with a group naming itself the "Indigenous Peoples' Day of Massachusetts" currently attempting to do the same for the state's capital city of [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whdh.com/news/us-world/several-massachusetts-towns-cities-honor-indigenous-peoples-over-columbus/ |title=Several Massachusetts towns, cities honor indigenous peoples over Columbus |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=October 11, 2016 |website=whdh.com |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=October 11, 2016 |quote=Several Massachusetts towns and cities have for the first time opted to celebrate indigenous people rather than explorer Christopher Columbus’ 1492 arrival in the Americas.}}</ref> == See also == {{portal|Holidays|Spain|Italy|Latin America}} * [[Age of Discovery]] * [[Indigenous Peoples' Day]] * [[L'Anse aux Meadows]] * [[Leif Erikson Day]] * [[World's Columbian Exposition]] == References == {{Reflist|2}} == External links == {{Commons category}} * [http://www.ipdpowwow.org/ Berkeley's Indigenous Peoples Day]— History of the annual celebration, pow wow and Native American market * [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct12.html Today in History: October 12] – An article about Columbus Day at The [[Library of Congress]] * [http://www.transformcolumbusday.org/ Transform Columbus Day Alliance] – Denver-based organization with background on opposition to Columbus Day * [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=5B0330E9-F379-4533-96BE-6B628C93160E Columbus Day Celebrates Western Culture – Frontpagemag.com] {{US Federal Holidays}} {{U.S. Holidays}} [[Category:Public holidays in the United States]] [[Category:Italian-American culture]] [[Category:October observances]] [[Category:Movable October observances]] [[Category:Monday observances]] [[Category:Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month)]] [[Category:International observances]] [[Category:Christopher Columbus]] [[Category:Latin American culture]] [[Category:Hispanidad]]'