COLUMBUS DAY, OBSERVE IT OR DON'T

OCTOBER 8, 2012 - COLUMBUS DAY, OBSERVE IT OR DON'T 

With the advent of the History Channel, plus the 2004 publication of Columbus era documents, came the realization for many Americans that Christopher Columbus’ influence weighed heavier on the negative than on the positive for our nation’s history.  While there are still protests and controversy surrounding Columbus Day, it seems, at least according to Wikipedia, to depend on where you live in the U.S. and its territories as to whether you observe or celebrate the coming of Columbus to the Americas on October 12, 1492.

Columbus Day

Actual observance varies in different parts of the United States, ranging from large-scale parades and events to complete non-observance. Most states celebrate Columbus Day as an official state holiday, though many mark it as a "Day of Observance" or "Recognition" and three do not recognize it at all. Most states (including states where it's not a legal holiday) close schools and other state services, while others operate as normal.  San Francisco claims the nation's oldest continuously existing celebration with the Italian-American community's annual Columbus Day Parade, which was established by Nicola Larco in 1868, while New York City boasts the largest.  As in the mainland U.S., Columbus Day is a legal holiday in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. In the United States Virgin Islands, the day is celebrated as both Columbus Day and "Puerto Rico Friendship Day."  Virginia also celebrates two legal holidays on the day, Columbus Day and Yorktown Victory Day, which honors the final victory at the Siege of Yorktown in the Revolutionary War.

Non-observance

Hawaii, Alaska, and South Dakota are the three states that do not recognize Columbus Day at all, though Hawaii and South Dakota mark the day with an alternative holiday or observance. Hawaii celebrates Discoverers' Day, which commemorates the Polynesian discoverers of Hawaii on the same date, the second Monday of October, though the name change has not ended protest related to the observance of Columbus' discovery.  The state government does not treat either Columbus Day or Discoverers' Day as a legal holiday; state, city and county government offices and schools are open for business. South Dakota celebrates the day as an official state holiday known as "Native American Day" rather than Columbus Day.  Several other states have removed Columbus Day as a paid holiday for government workers while still maintaining it either as a day of recognition or a legal holiday for other purposes. These include California and Texas.

In 2007, Dane County Wisconsin Supervisor Ashok Kumar replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day. The city of Berkeley, California has replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day since 1992, a move which has been replicated by several other localities. Two other California cities, Sebastopol and Santa Cruz, now celebrate Indigenous People's Day.  Various tribal governments in Oklahoma designate the day "Native American Day", or name the day after their own tribe. The Navajo Nation replaced Columbus Day with Navajo Nation Sovereignty Day, which is observed on April 4.