| 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:
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**