Columbus Day needs to be removed from the national calendar
How can any weekend become automatically better? By adding an extra day to a break from classes.
With the arrival of October comes one particular holiday that is given national observance. Although some states, such as ours, name it differently, the day is most commonly known as Columbus Day.
Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937, and since then, it has developed a large cloud of controversy. South Dakota and Hawaii have renamed the holiday for their own local purposes. Oregon has chosen to not recognize it at all.
As a country, in supporting a national holiday, we should be unified in our decision of celebrating it or not. The United States should collectively remove Columbus Day from the national calendar.
In any elementary education, teachers tell us that Columbus sailed the ocean in 1492. We are taught that he discovered America while on his expedition on the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.
In reality, he was not the first person to discover America. History describes Columbus as selfish and ignorant. Instead of choosing to interact with the foreign cultures and establish a trading system, he frequently enslaved the native people he encountered until they gave up their gold and valuables. In one of his journals, Columbus wrote “I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men and govern them as I please.”
Columbus is not responsible for being the first European to discover America – that was Viking Leif Erickson, 500 years before Columbus – or state that the world was round – try Greek astronomer Eratosthenes in approximately 240 B.C. Columbus is only responsible for bringing violence and European disease to America.
How did the holiday come to be? Italians requested the holiday after years of discrimination when they first immigrated to America. Today, few people actually celebrate the day or acknowledge it as Columbus Day.
According to Vox, only 15 percent of private business close in observance, the smallest proportion for any federal holiday. Less than half of the nation even commemorates the holiday, whether it be known as Columbus Day, Native American Day, Discoverer’s Day, or Indigenous Peoples Day.
While some states are choosing to observe the day for more respected reasons, if America chooses to have a national holiday, it should be celebrated by every state or none of them.
What should we do instead of having a day off from school and work? Take the day to learn about the subjects of this holiday – Native Americans and Christopher Columbus.
Let’s delve deeper into the history of lesser known explorers who made important contributions, such as Bartolome de la Casas. He was one of the first Europeans in America and promoted Native American rights to end exploitive colonization.
If we have better options for handling the yearly disgust toward Columbus Day, why have we not taken action?
It may seem like a simple modification, but it would make a lasting impact on American history. In a time known for progressive societal change, we should take the small but necessary step toward equality and respect among all peoples. It’s worth sacrificing an extra day off.
