It might be history 101, but we all need a little refresher now and then, right? Holidays may come and go, so here’s a small reminder of what many people observe on the second Monday in October. All over North and South America, countries commemorate the day in 1492 when Christopher Columbus “discovered” what was heralded in Europe as the New World. Though the Vikings had landed in North America hundreds of years earlier, Columbus is credited for introducing Europeans to the new continent. And, of course, the continent that celebrates Columbus Day is actually named after Amerigo Vespucci, another Italian navigator who explored the northern coast of South America between 1499 and 1500. All ths ringing a bell? Then, that grade school history lesson is paying off! Let’s take a look at what Columbus Day means now.
Though the day has been marked In the United States since the 18th century, Columbus Day did not become an official federal holiday until 1937. Beyond observing the discovery of the Americas, it’s a day of tribute to Italian-American heritage, nodding to Christforo Colombo’s storied hometown of Genoa, Italy. (Some say Catalonia was his birthplace.) In some Latin American countries, however, Columbus Day is quite a controversy and has been flipped to celebrate the resistance to—rather than the accomplishment of—the European arrivals. How heated could this centuries-old event be? As late as 2004, when the president of Venezuela changed the holiday’s name to “Dia de la Resistencia,” pro-government activists toppled a famous statue of Columbus in the capitol in support of the indigenous peoples’ show of resistance.
What’s in a name?
Mexico (and previously Spain) marks the day that Columbus landed in America as “Dia de la Raza,” meaning “Day of the Race.” It’s meant to recognize the mixture of indigenous and European heritages apparent in Mexican culture. And, although it falls on the same day as Columbus’s arrival in the new world, the holiday pays no respect to the conquering explorer himself. Like in Venezuela, it’s a time to honor the natives’ struggle against the arrival of Europeans. Spain has changed the holiday three times. Until 1957, it was once was known in Spain, as “Dia de la Hispanidad” or “Day of the Hispanic People.” Today, the history of Cristóbal Colón is celebrated as “Fiesta Nacional de España.” Likewise, Costa Rica changed the official holiday name to “Dia de las Culturas” or “Day of the Cultures,” as a way to recognize the European, American, African and Asian influences on their culture.
Columbus Sites
You’ll find monuments in many places where Columbus set foot—from Costa Rica to Spain and of course in the U.S—where there are at least 180 of them. When you’re visiting Spain, you can’t miss the sprawling Columbus Square, called “Plaza de Colón,” where two monuments and a grand fountain commemorate the explorer. The gardens in the plaza are aptly named, “Gardens of Discovery.” In Barcelona, you’ll find a nearly 200-foot tall monument that honors the admiral at the lower end of a mile-long pedestrian street, La Rambla. Some think that the statue of Christopher Columbus is pointing west in the direction of America but his hand actually faces east towards his supposed birthplace in Genoa.
Even though the celebrations are controversial in some countries, there’s no denying the courage and skill displayed by Columbus and his sailors. And now maybe October next year, you can celebrate the spirit of discovery by sharing a few of these Columbus Day facts.