Why do we celibrate Columbus Day?

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 12:49:31 -0400

I wonder why do we celebrate Columbus Day? He did Not discover America! He was looking for a trade route to India I do believe. The Vikings, and ST. Brendon of Ireland, were here AT LEAST 500 years BEFORE Columbus! There are settlements here from the Vikings. And recently we have discovered the Chinese artifacts in CA, It has been proven that other cultures had developed sea travel from places far across the Pacific. What are your thoughts on this?

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2014 12:57 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 12:57:58 -0400

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member, I found some good opinions in response to your question at debate.org:

http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-columbus-day-be-celebrated

Should Columbus Day be celebrated?

Provide your input about Christopher Columbus's impact on America and whether or not we should celebrate the holiday.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Oct 11 at 2014 1:13 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 13:13:59 -0400

Why do we celebrate Cinco De Mayo? Who needs an excuse for a day off....?

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Oct 11 at 2014 1:22 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 13:22:28 -0400

Because some of us Dago Ginny Wop I-talians need a day off. "Christopher Columbus, you're a real paisan" :-)

Response by SGT Richard H. made Oct 11 at 2014 2:06 PM

SGT Richard H. — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 14:06:54 -0400

I find this one less confusing than Valentine's day. There's actually very little known about St. Valentine, and isn't it believed by some that he was killed by his own followers?

Response by 1SG Steven Stankovich made Oct 11 at 2014 2:51 PM

1SG Steven Stankovich — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 14:51:33 -0400

Not sure I remember much celebrating, however I am a huge fan of the Federal Holiday status tied to Columbus Day and will do my best to enjoy not being at work... ;)

Response by SSgt Gregory Guina made Oct 11 at 2014 8:19 PM

SSgt Gregory Guina — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 20:19:45 -0400

So I can have a day off

Response by Sgt Packy Flickinger made Oct 12 at 2014 1:05 AM

Sgt Packy Flickinger — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 01:05:41 -0400

We celebrate Columbus day, the REAL Columbus day on October 12 because its my birthday as well as my wife's!!

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2014 1:06 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 01:06:09 -0400

Because in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue..

Lot of debate on the legitimacy of that. I will take a day off though!

In honor of Chris, I will take the boat out on the lake and discover a place to anchor in, have a beer and fish.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2014 3:01 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 03:01:10 -0400

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member,

Even though I'm not a fan of Columbus, I'm thankful for the extra day off. I do think we could live without both Columbus Day and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, as federal holidays should be more about us as a united people than about individual accomplishments.

Interestingly, Seattle recently changed the name from Columbus Day to "Indigenous Peoples' Day."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/18/us-usa-washington-columbus-idUSKBN0HD2LE20140918

Seattle set to change name of Columbus Day holiday

Seattle, named after a Native American tribal chief, is poised to become the next major U.S city after Minneapolis to officially change the name of a federal holiday that celebrates Christopher Columbus' 15th century arrival in the Americas.

Response by SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS made Oct 12 at 2014 10:16 AM

SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 10:16:46 -0400

There is significant controversy over this holiday with some states not celebrating at all and others celebrating another day in its place.

Not sure why. Great post with superb information. Sorry I was not able to shed some light on this.

SFC Joseph M. Finck USA (Ret)

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2014 11:46 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 11:46:00 -0400

I a 100% disabled, and can't work ever again, so getting a day off, FOR ME, is every day. Historians, and other scientists are sooo close-minded. They don't want to rock the boat, so to speak, plus TONS of money would be needed to rewrite the text books. That's money the educational system doe's NOT want to spend. I feel this is ONE reason the U.S. dropped down the list of most educated, I THINK to 23 in the world. Other western countries are higher on the list then we are because they put more money into education.
The scientific community so closed- mined in ALOT of areas. There was a time when it was heresy to think the Earth rotated around the sun, or the world was flat, or black holes were just a theory. Now with new technology, we are changing theories, to reality. I with, and do teach my grandkids the truth about history, and other subjects.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2014 11:49 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 11:49:47 -0400

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Origins of Columbus Day

A U.S. national holiday since 1937, Columbus Day commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. The Italian-born explorer had set sail two months earlier, backed by the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He intended to chart a western sea route to China, India and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia; instead, he landed in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland during the 10th century.

Did You Know?

Contrary to popular belief, most educated Europeans in Columbus' day understood that the world was round, but they did not yet know that the Pacific Ocean existed. As a result, Columbus and his contemporaries assumed that only the Atlantic lay between Europe and the riches of the East Indies.