Columbus Day

Columbus Day
Observed by	United States
Type	Federal holiday
Date	Second Monday in October
Scheduling	Varies (second Monday)
Frequency	Annual
Duration	1 day
Celebrates	Christopher Columbus's landing in the Americas

Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the second Monday in October. It commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492.

Origins

The holiday began as a celebration of Italian-American heritage in the late 1800s and gained national prominence in 1937, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed it a federal holiday.

• First celebrated: 1792 in New York
• Federal holiday status: 1937

Celebrations

Traditionally, Columbus Day has been celebrated with:

• Parades and festivals, especially in cities with large Italian-American populations
• Educational programs on early exploration
• Recognition of Italian-American contributions to U.S. society

Major celebrations occur in:

• New York City
• Chicago
• San Francisco

Controversy and Alternatives

Columbus Day has become controversial due to Columbus's role in colonization, enslavement, and violence toward Indigenous peoples.

As a result, many states and cities now observe Indigenous Peoples' Day as an alternative or replacement.

States that do not officially celebrate Columbus Day include:

• Hawaii (celebrates Discoverers’ Day)
• Alaska
• Oregon
• South Dakota (celebrates Native American Day)

Fun Facts

• Columbus never actually set foot on the mainland U.S.; he landed in the Caribbean
• Some activists refer to it as a "mythical discovery" of lands already inhabited
• Despite the controversy, Columbus Day remains a federal holiday

See Also

• Indigenous Peoples' Day
• History of the U.S.
• Exploration of the Americas
• Italian Americans
• Federal Holidays in the United States