Monday, October 10, 2011

Columbus Day


Columbus Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in 1937. However, people have celebrated Columbus's voyage since the colonial period. In 1792, New York City and other U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison called upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. During the four hundredth anniversary, in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These patriotic rituals were framed around themes such as support for war, citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and celebrating social progress.[1]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The cartoon reminds me of the great skit on Stan Freeberg's United States of America Part 1. Columbus says he has discovered America, the Indian answers "what you mean you discover us? WE discover you, right here on beach." Great stuff, well worth a listen.

Unknown said...

I agree, Rick. They play excerpts from that Freberg masterwork on XM now and then.