Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States on the second Monday of October to honor Christopher Columbus's first voyage to America in 1492. While Columbus mistakenly believed he had reached India, he initiated European exploration and colonization of the Americas. Many cities hold parades on Columbus Day, though some groups oppose celebrations due to Columbus's mistreatment of native people which contributed to their population decline.

1. Columbus Day
The presentation was prepared
by a 11th grade student
Cherepiana Victoria

2. Plan
1. Date and reason
2. History and interesting facts
3. Preparation and activities
4. Feeling and comments

3. Date and reason
• Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States to honor
Christopher Columbus's first voyage to America in 1492.
• Columbus actually
discovered America on
October 12th, 1492, but
Columbus Day is always
celebrated on the the
second Monday of October.

4. Columbus' voyages across the Atlantic Ocean initiated the European
exploration and colonization of the Americas.
History and interesting facts
While the first voyage in 1492 was
immensely significant, Columbus
did not actually reach the
American mainland until his third
voyage in 1498.Instead, while
trying to find a sea route to India,
he made landfall on an island in
the Bahamas that he named San
Salvador.Christopher Columbus

5. While there had been celebrations in
1792 to mark the 300th anniversary,
Columbus Day was first officially
proclaimed by President Benjamin
Harrison in 1892, to mark the 400th
anniversary of Columbus' landing in
the Bahamas.
Colorado was the first US state to
make Columbus Day an official holiday
and Franklin Roosevelt established the
first federal observance of Columbus
Day in 1937. Since 1971, the holiday
has been celebrated on the second
Monday in October.
History and interesting facts

6. • Did you know?
It is now generally
accepted that
Columbus was not the
earliest European
explorer to reach the
Americas and that
Viking sailors had
ventured as far as
Newfoundland around
1000 AD.
History and interesting facts
• Columbus Day is also called
"El Día de la Raza". Why do
you think it is also called
that?
• The Native Americans and
Columbus were friends at first,
but later the Europeans killed
many of them in wars and with
diseases they brought from
Europe. Native Americans
were treated badly and we
need to recognize this also.

7. • Since Columbus Day is a designated federal holiday, the post office,
government offices, and many banks are closed. Many cities across
America stage parades that day.
Preparation and celebration
For example, Baltimore claims to
have the "Oldest Continuous
Marching Parade in America"
celebrating Columbus Day. Denver
held its 101st Columbus Day
parade in 2008. New York holds a
Columbus Celebration that
includes a parade down Fifth
Avenue and a mass at St. Patrick's
Cathedral.

8. • In addition, Columbus Day is
also celebrated in other parts of
the world including some cities
in Italy and Spain, along with
parts of Canada and Puerto
Rico. Puerto Rico has its own
public holiday on November 19
celebrating Columbus'
discovery of the island.
• Many Italian-Americans use the
holiday to display their pride by
dressing up, playing music, and
of course, making food.
Preparation and celebration

9. Feeling and comments
• In 1992, leading up to the 500th anniversary of Columbus' sighting of the
Americas, many groups voiced their opposition to celebrations honoring
Columbus. On his first voyage to the New World, Columbus arrived in the
Caribbean islands. But he mistakenly believed that he had reached East India
and that the Taino, the indigenous people he found there, were East Indians.
• In a later voyage, Columbus captured more than 1,200 Taino and sent them to
Europe as slaves. The Taino also suffered at the hands of the Spanish, former
crew members on his ships who remained on the islands and used the Taino
people as forced laborers, punishing them with torture and death if they
resisted. The Europeans also unwittingly passed on their diseases to the
Taino, who had no resistance to them. The terrible combination of forced
labor and devastating new diseases would wipe out the entire population of
Hispaniola in 43 years. Many people cite this tragedy as the reason why
Americans should not be celebrating Columbus' accomplishments. Individuals
and groups continue to speak out against and protest Columbus Day
celebrations.

10. Used sources:
• https://www.officeholidays.com/countries/usa/columbus_day.php
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/columbus-day-
2017-when-is-it-date-holiday-meaning-why-veterans-us-cale-
a7983641.html
• https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/columbus-day/