U.S. Holidays

Columbus Day

Most nations of the Americas observe this holiday on October 12, but in the United States, annual observances take place on the second Monday in October. The major celebration of the day takes place in New York City, which holds a huge parade each year.The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the United States took place on October 12, 1792. Organized by The Society of St. Tammany, also known as the Columbian Order, it commemorated the 300th anniversary of Columbus's landing. The 400th anniversary of the event, however, inspired the first official Columbus Day holiday in the United States. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation urging Americans to mark the day. The public responded enthusiastically, organizing school programs, plays, and community festivities across the country. Columbus and the Discovery of America, Imre Kiralfy's "grand dramatic, operatic, and ballet spectacle," is among the more elaborate tributes created for this commemoration. The World's Columbian Exposition, by far the most ambitious event planned for the celebration, opened in Chicago the summer of 1893. Abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials See also: About the USA: U.S. History - Early America Background · Celebrate! Holidays in the USA: Columbus Day · Christopher Columbus (Encarta Encyclopedia) · Columbus and the Age of Discovery (Millersville University of Pennsylvania) · Columbus Navigation Homepage (Keith A. Pickering) · Outline of American History: Early America · Today in History: Columbus Day (Library of Congress) Original Documents · Christopher Columbus: Extracts From Journal, 1492 · Columbus' letter to the King and Queen of Spain, 1494 (Medieval Sourcebook, Fordham University) · The Columbus Letter (University of Southern Maine) Exhibits · 1492 - An Ongoing Voyage (Library of Congress) · The Age of Exploration (Mariners' Museum) For Kids · Columbus Day (Holiday Zone) · Just Where Was Columbus? (InfoPlease.com) · Seeds of Change Garden (Smithsonian Institution) Teacher Resources · Beyond Columbus: Teaching the Lessons of 1492 (Education World) · The Indians' Discovery of Columbus (Yale New Haven Teachers Institute) · New Other Worlds: The Voyage of Columbus. Lesson Plan (National Endowment for the Humanities) · Should We Celebrate Columbus Day? Lesson Plan (Education World) More Links · Christopher Columbus: Internet Resources for His Life and Times · Columbus Day Resources · Discoverers Web: Columbus Link Page · Yahoo! Holidays and Observance: Columbus Day   Download FREE Adobe Acrobat© Reader to view PDF files on this site. Adobe PDF Conversion by Simple Form DISCLAIMER Any reference obtained from this server to a specific commercial product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the United States Government of the product, process, or service, or its producer or provider. The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government.