Monday, October 14, 2013

Columbus Day

Columbus Day - Not a holiday like others . . .
From Wikipedia, we learn:

History

"Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus' voyage since the colonial period.

"In 1792, New York City and other U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. President Harrison called upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. During the four hundredth anniversary in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These patriotic rituals were framed around themes such as support for war, citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and celebrating social progress."
 
"Many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage, the first occasion being in New York City on October 12, 1866. Columbus Day was first enshrined as a legal holiday in the United States through the lobbying of Angelo Noce, a first generation Italian, in Denver.

"The first statewide Columbus Day holiday was proclaimed by Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald in 1905, and it was made a statutory holiday in 1907. In April 1934, as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made October 12 a federal holiday under the name Columbus Day."

"Since 1970, the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October, coincidentally the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada (which was fixed to that date in 1959) (note that October 12, 1970, was a Monday).

"It is generally observed nowadays by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service, other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts. Some businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, also some states and municipalities abstain from observing the holiday."

So there you go - probably more than you have ever known about how Columbus Day came to be a holiday than you ever wanted to know!!

Happy Columbus Day, and Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

Happy Stampin' and Scrappin'!

2 comments:

  1. What an interesting historical tidbit! Thanks for sharing that, Julia. Following you to learn more! LOL.
    xxx Asha Sunny Summer Crafts

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    Replies
    1. Ha! Thanks, Asha! I knew about the Italian-American thing because we have parades around here, but that was about it except that Columbus sailed the ocean blue . . . . LOL.

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