Christopher Columbus Day

Next Monday, October 8th, Christopher Columbus Day is celebrated in many states of the USA. They celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americans, which took place on October 12, 1492.

How do people in USA celebrate this day?
In some cities, like New York or San Francisco, Columbus Day is an official state holiday. Therefore, schools, banks and other state services are closed. This day there are large-scale parades and events in the streets in remembrance of Columbus and his Italian heritage.

On October 12, Spanish people celebrate Columbus Day, also known as 'Día de la Hispanidad'. This day, we also celebrate 'Día de las Fuerzas Armadas' with an interesting parade in our capital city, Madrid.

If you want to read more about this day, click on the following links:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day
• http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/columbus-day
• http://wilstar.com/holidays/columbus.htm

This video describes the history of Columbus and his arrival to Americans:

http://www.history.com/topics/columbus-day/videos#christopher-columbus-man-and-myth

The second video shows you how people celebrate it in San Francisco.

HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!!