Black Friday
Columbus Day Deals & Promo Codes
The Day Filled with Controversy
Columbus Day is traditionally an American holiday and remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492. Columbus Day was proclaimed a national holiday by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937. The original celebration took place in 1792 in New York to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ landing. President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation in 1892 that encouraged Americans to mark the 400th anniversary with patriotic festivities.
Despite being a historical holiday, this day is filled with controversy due to the growing awareness that the explorer’s 1492 arrival in the New World spurred the demise of millions of indigenous people. In addition to the controversy over the fate of the Native Americans encountered by Columbus, there is also the fact that some scientist say that he did not actually discover America, bringing evidence that Columbus was not the first European to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, with that recognition going to Viking explorers who traveled from Scandinavia in the 10th century. The also state that Columbus never reached mainland North America, instead landing in the Bahamas, and later Cuba.
So, nowadays, not all U.S. states celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of the country. Perhaps beginning the demise of the controversial Columbus Day, some locations are beginning to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. It is not a public holiday in some states, and others celebrate Native Americans’ Day. In Hawaii Columbus Day is also known as Landing Day or Discoverer's Day.
Many states now celebrate Native Americansâ Day/Indigenous People's Day instead of Columbus Day.
