Columbus Day in United States

Columbus Day, which is annually on the second Monday of October, remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492. This holiday is controversial because the European settlement in the Americas led to the demise of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples.

What do people do?

Officially, the people of the USA are invited to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of their country with church services and other activities. In some towns and cities, special church services, parades and large events are held. Most celebrations are concentrated around the Italian-American community. The celebrations in New York and San Francisco are particularly noteworthy. In Hawaii Columbus Day is also known as Landing Day or Discoverer's Day.

Not all parts of the United States celebrate Columbus Day. It is not a public holiday in California, Nevada and Hawaii. Moreover, Native Americans’ Day is celebrated in South Dakota, while Indigenous People’s Day is celebrated in Berkeley, California. 

Public life

Columbus day is a public holiday in many parts of the United states, but is not observed or is not a holiday in some states. Government offices and schools are generally closed, but businesses may be open. The flag of the United States is displayed on Government buildings.

Background

Christopher Columbus is often portrayed as the first European to sail to the Americas. He is sometimes portrayed as the discoverer of the New World. However, this is controversial on many counts. There is evidence that the first Europeans to sail across the Atlantic were Viking explorers from Scandinavia. In addition, the land was already populated by indigenous peoples, who had 'discovered' the Americas thousands of years before.

Columbus Day originated as a celebration of Italian-American heritage and was first held in San Francisco in 1869. The first state-wide celebration was held in Colorado in 1907. In 1937, Columbus Day become a holiday across the United States. Since 1971, it has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. The date on which Columbus arrived in the Americas is also celebrated as the Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in Latin America and some Latino communities in the USA. However, it is a controversial holiday in some countries and has been re-named in others.

Columbus Day celebrations are controversial because the settlement of Europeans in the Americas led to the deaths of a very large proportion of the native people. It has been argued that this was a direct result of Columbus' actions. It is clear that the arrival of the European settlers led to the demise of a large proportion of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It has also been argued that Columbus should not be honored for discovering North America, as he only went as far as some islands in the Caribbean and never got as far as mainland America.

Note: timeanddate.com states the facts and issues associated with this observance but does not disclose its opinion on the matter.

Columbus Day Observances

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Weekday	Date	Year	Name	Holiday type	Where it is observed
Mon	Oct 13	1980	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 12	1981	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 11	1982	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 10	1983	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 8	1984	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 14	1985	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 13	1986	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 12	1987	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 10	1988	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 9	1989	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 8	1990	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 14	1991	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 12	1992	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 11	1993	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 10	1994	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 9	1995	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 14	1996	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 13	1997	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 12	1998	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 11	1999	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 9	2000	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 8	2001	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 14	2002	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 13	2003	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 11	2004	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 10	2005	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 9	2006	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 8	2007	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 13	2008	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except AK, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 12	2009	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except CA, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 11	2010	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except CA, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 10	2011	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except CA, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 8	2012	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except CA, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 14	2013	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except CA, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 13	2014	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except CA, HI, NV
Mon	Oct 12	2015	Columbus Day	National holiday	All except CA, HI, NV

Related holiday

• Indigenous People's Day ―Monday, October 8, 2012, Monday, October 8, 2012

Other holidays in October 2012 in United States

• International Day of Older Persons ―Monday, October 1, 2012
• Child Health Day ―Monday, October 1, 2012
• World Habitat Day ―Monday, October 1, 2012
• First day of Sukkot ―Monday, October 1, 2012
• International Day of Non-Violence ―Tuesday, October 2, 2012
• Feast of St Francis of Assisi ―Thursday, October 4, 2012
• World Teachers' Day ―Friday, October 5, 2012
• Last day of Sukkot ―Sunday, October 7, 2012
• Native Americans' Day ―Monday, October 8, 2012
• Indigenous People's Day ―Monday, October 8, 2012
• Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah ―Monday, October 8, 2012
• World Post Day ―Tuesday, October 9, 2012
• Leif Erikson Day ―Tuesday, October 9, 2012
• World Mental Health Day ―Wednesday, October 10, 2012
• International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction ―Wednesday, October 10, 2012
• International Day of the Girl Child ―Thursday, October 11, 2012
• World Sight Day ―Thursday, October 11, 2012
• International Day of Rural Women ―Monday, October 15, 2012
• White Cane Safety Day ―Monday, October 15, 2012
• World Food Day ―Tuesday, October 16, 2012
• Boss's Day ―Tuesday, October 16, 2012
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty ―Wednesday, October 17, 2012
• Alaska Day ―Thursday, October 18, 2012
• World Development Information Day ―Wednesday, October 24, 2012
• United Nations Day ―Wednesday, October 24, 2012
• Nevada Day ―Friday, October 26, 2012
• Eid-al-Adha ―Friday, October 26, 2012
• World Day for Audiovisual Heritage ―Saturday, October 27, 2012
• World Stroke Day ―Monday, October 29, 2012
• Halloween ―Wednesday, October 31, 2012