Today is Columbus Day and many federal, state and municipal offices and schools are closed.
Columbus Day is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October to remember Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas in 1492. Columbus is often portrayed as the first European to sail to the Americas and as the discoverer of the New World. However, this is controversial on many counts, as 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.
Admist the controversary of this holiday, due to arguements as to who really "discovered" America and the deaths of a very large population of Native Americans at Columbus's hands, here are some historical facts about the Columbus Day holiday, which are undebateable:
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- 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.
Columbus Day is a great opportunity to have fun with your kids and enjoy entertaining with crafts and other activities. Check out Kaboose online for a list of family-fun projects, such as Columbus printables, egg cup ships, Columbus Day food, telescopes, binoculars, maps and more.
