Columbus day
12
Oct 2019

Columbus day

12

OCTOBER, 2019

Community

 

 

October 12 is the commemoration of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The day is celebrated in Latin America, Spain, the United States and other countries.

The name of this holiday varies by country, for example: in Argentina it is known as the Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity, in Mexico is Día de la Raza, in Spain it is called Hispanic Day, while in Chile and Peru is called Two Worlds Encounter Day. The name changes, but the meaning is the same; This day commemorates the land sighting of what would later be called America, of the first voyage of exploration and discovery of Christopher Columbus. 

The creation of this commemoration began spontaneously and unofficially in the 20th century. It celebrates a new cultural identity, which was the result of the encounter of the indigenous people of America and the Spanish colonizers.

In 1913, the former Spanish minister Faustino Rodríguez-San Pedro sought to connect the Spanish and Latin American cultures, choosing October 12 to denote Hispanic Day.

In 1914 it was celebrated as the Festival of the Race before being renamed the following year to our current Columbus Day.