History of Columbus Day
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Columbus Day is celebrated in the US in the month of October. This day is always on the second Monday of the month. This day marks the first voyage of Christopher Columbus and his subsequent discovery on 12 October 1492 of America.
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The community responsible for initiating Columbus Day was the Italian-American community of the city of New York. They kicked off the festivities, which they called the 'discovery' of America, on 12 October 1866. This annual celebration gradually caught on in other cities, and was formally given the name Columbus Day in 1869, in San Francisco.
In 1905, Colorado was the first US state that officially recognized Columbus Day. Soon, other US states followed suit, observing 12 October as the official Columbus Day. This was then changed to the second Monday in the month of October.
Now Columbus Day enjoys the status of a federal holiday, which means all government offices, post offices and a number of banks remain closed on this day. A number of US cities hold parades on this day. In the city of New York, Columbus Day is celebrated with a parade that goes down the Fifth Avenue. A mass is also held at the St. Patrick's Cathedral. However, Baltimore is believed to have the 'Oldest Continuous Marching Parade in America', while Denver held the state's hundred and first parade in the year 2008.
Columbus Day celebrations are not eagerly looked forward to by everyone though. There are many critics who have expressed displeasure over naming a day after a man they do not deem fit for such an honor. These are mainly historians, who have contrasting views when it comes to Christopher Columbus’s accomplishments.
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