“When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, ‘Ours.'”
Today is the best sort of a fall day. The sun is shining, it’s warm and the clear blue sky goes on forever. The leaves have started changing, and with the help of the wind, some have already fallen. My front lawn has touches of red lying on the grass blown from the trees along the driveway. Clumps of pine needles with chewed ends are strewn on the grass and the driveway. The spawns chew the clumps off the branches, drink the sap then toss the leftovers. I don’t ever remember seeing as many clumps.
Columbus Day meant the day off from school, but it was always the 12th, never a convenient Monday. Today is just happenstance. Schools, banks, town and federal offices including the post office are all closed.
I don’t know how to celebrate Columbus Day. All the other holidays are easy, each has a token, a symbol. Some even have traditional foods. I suppose we could eat Italian food in honor of Columbus having been a citizen of Genoa or considering he never really made it to the New World, we could eat Caribbean food, the closest he got. We could wear one of those silly hats he’s always pictured wearing. As for decorations, miniature ships with crosses on their sails could be on the Columbus Day table. That’s all I’ve got.
Now we come to the controversy as to whether or not we should celebrate Columbus, by most accounts a slaver guilty of genocide. He wiped out entire populations of indigenous people. He didn’t even find America, his one claim to fame. Protests against Chris are held every Columbus Day. In some places the day has been renamed Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Only 23 states still have the day as a holiday from work.
I used to like a day off in October. In truth, I didn’t care the reason.
I agree that Chris doesn’t deserve a whole day in his name. He really didn’t do anything worth recognition. Quite the opposite is true so I think it’s time to stop honoring him. We need to rethink the day.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: blue sky, Caribbean food, columbus day, falling leaves, genocide, gorgeous day, Indigenous Peoples' Day., Italian food, miniature ships, red leaves, slavery, warm day
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October 12, 2015 at 12:54 pm
You could celebrate Leif Ericsson’s day, he didn’t do much damage and the natives chased them all away if I know it right 🙂 Icelandic or Norwegian food would then be the proper food. Both countries have some really odd food You could try 🙂
The Swedish vikings went eastwards and founded Russia instead 🙂 but I’m not sure I would like to celebrate that 🙂
But I think You’re right about not celebrating him, he was terribele to be honest.
I had already fallen asleep onthe sófa when You posted here yesterday 🙂 I think it was the heat from the stove that made me so tired 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
October 12, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Christer,
Leif would be the better choice as he found the place first. I have been to Iceland so I’ve had Icelandic food. We went to a really nice place for dinner one night, and I had Icelandic game for dinner. It was delicious. I have also had Norwegian food, but I am not a fan.
Nope, I wouldn’t celebrate that either.
Columbus ought to be forgotten. He was definitely not a good man.
Nothing wrong with a good nap!! I love taking them.
Have great day!
October 12, 2015 at 2:53 pm
I would vote for a One World Day as worldwide holiday and would gladly trade it for one of our christian holidays nobody really cares about.
We are all humans and it’s painful to see that nationalism emerges again. Just take this little country in the middle of Europe where I live, a mere 25 years ago we got rid of this inhuman inner German border and other borders were reduced and now some crazy politicians seriously want to surround our country with a fence. Help!!!
Happy holiday! Since it’s still Columbus Day and Columbus was a sailor a beach walk might be appropriate?
October 12, 2015 at 3:04 pm
Birgit,
Adding a holiday would work just fine but switching with an existing holiday wouldn’t fly here. People are quite possessive of their holidays.
A walk on the beach would be perfect. Perhaps getting lost on the today flats would be even more appropriate as Columbus had no idea where he was.
October 12, 2015 at 10:33 pm
Hi Kat,
Columbus Day was always a day off with no guilt, religious or patriotic. 🙂 My birthday is right before it so it worked out well for me. I did day hikes or went on overnights in the White Mountains. Lots of leaf peeping and photography.
Later on there would be horseback rides in the riotously colored forests.
Now and then there would be terrier trials in harvested fields. It’s wonderful to remember the sound of all those terriers giving voice to the unbearable joy of hunting rats or even just chasing a smelly old fake fox tail down a race course.
These days Columbus Day means Topsfield Fair’s last day and/or Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Festival weekend.
Perhaps we could use the day to celebrate actual American accomplishments instead of lionizing someone who wasn’t American, Italian or even a shoemaker’s son, was famous for being the last European to discover America and the first to systematically enslave indigenous Americans on the grounds that they weren’t Christians so God would be okay with it. It’s a thought.
Enjoy the evening.
October 12, 2015 at 10:53 pm
Hi Caryn,
I was the same. I just saw it as a day off and my sister’s birthday. That seemed to be the big event of the day. We just hung around the neighborhood or went bike riding.
I’ve never seen dog trials though I have seen border collies going through their paces.They were amazing and those sheep stepped right into line.
This is the Yarmouth Seaside Weekend with a cast fair and several other activities. The parade was called off for lack of funding. I missed not having one. I just stayed home but enjoyed the day.
I’m open to anything to change the day. American accomplishments would mean a list and I suspect we’d likely offend by leaving someone out. Maybe we celebrate all of us.
Have a great evening.
October 14, 2015 at 1:02 am
Agreed on both counts – Columbus is not a fitting role model for a national holiday; but… we are possessive about our holidays. Of course, we are named for Amerigo Vespuci, who sailed along (maybe) on a few post-Columbian voyages, published a couple of exploration books (doubtful authorship), but had a great press agent/map maker!
But still, this holiday (“America’s Day”?) falls at the right time of year, and is non-religious, though it has little meaning anymore. I do prefer Italian food to Viking fare (as least from some of the Norwegian cuisine I’ve had).
October 14, 2015 at 12:52 pm
Jay,
I also like having a holiday in October, any holiday would do. It gives us a bit of a breather.
I used to like and dislike Monday holidays. I liked the three day weekend but didn’t like the tinkering as being too self-servicing. The meaning of the day was lost.
October 18, 2015 at 7:31 pm
Columbus Day is also celebrated in several South American countries and in several Caribbean islands. Columbia is named after him
October 18, 2015 at 7:39 pm
Spaceman,
I did not know that South American countries celebrated the day. Considering he never set foot in Columbia, that’s quite the honor.
October 19, 2015 at 3:15 pm
Typically referred to as Día de la Raza. Never set foot in North America
October 19, 2015 at 5:04 pm
Spaceman, That’s so true-I didn’t even think of that.