Every schoolchild knows that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, and his historic journey is said to have paved the way for the New World to exist as we know it today. Many cultures through North and South America celebrate Columbus Day, and we in the United States celebrate the second Monday of each October as the day that Christopher Columbus made landfall on this side of the Western Hemisphere. As is customary in America for many holidays throughout the year, one way that we celebrate Columbus Day is to hold massive parades with all kinds of floats that wind their way through the city in a huge display of festivity and fun. Columbus Day is not celebrated to the same extent everywhere throughout the country because of different legislations on city and state levels and because of general culture, but it is always recognized in some way or another. Federal offices and many school districts close on Columbus Day, but businesses and the stock exchange remain open.
Columbus Day commemorates Christopher Columbus’s journey across the Atlantic in 1492. The Spanish monarchy commissioned Columbus to find a new naval route to India so that their trade may be enhanced and facilitated. In the strict sense of the word, Columbus actually failed in his mission; instead of finding a new route to India, he instead discovered the American continent, which was unknown to explorers at the time. The exact bit of land that Columbus first spotted was located somewhere in the Bahamas, but the magnitude of his discovery was immense. From there, Columbus and his crew began to explore the rest of the Caribbean, stopping and different times at Cuba, Hispaniola, and other islands throughout the archipelagoes present there. Spanish interest in the New World was sudden, sparking the colonization efforts in the New World that, at the cost of the indigenous cultures of the New World, paved the way for American society as we know it to exist.
The first modern celebration of Columbus Day was held in New York in 1792, celebrating the 300th anniversary of Columbus’s landfall in the New World. One hundred years after the first celebration of Columbus Day, President Benjamin Harrison ordered the recognition of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the New World. Many Italian-Americans have celebrated Columbus Day as a day dedicated to their heritage, the first of these celebrations being held in New York City on October 12, 1866. A lawyer who was the son of Genoese immigrants to the United States was responsible for popularizing Columbus Day throughout the United States. During the 1850s, Genoese immigrants settled and farmed much of the land around the Sierra Nevada foothills. Much of this was because of the Californian gold rush, attracting much attention to that part of the United States. The lawyer grew up in the midst of this culture, and when he moved to Colorado, he brought the holiday with him. From there, it spread through the country.
Denver, Colorado, is home to one of the oldest Columbus Day parades in the country. This year’s parade will be the 101st celebration of Columbus Day in the city, marking the beginning of the next century of parades in the Mile High City. It will be held on Saturday, October 11th at 10:00 AM, and its aim is to celebrate the American National Holiday that pays homage to those whose blood, sweat, and tears contributed to the formation of the New World as we know it today. People from across the country are invited, as are clubs and organizations throughout Colorado, the latter being encouraged to come out in full force in order to represent themselves. The parade winds through the city and ends at in front of the state capitol building. After the parade itself, there are plenty of other events to which people are invited. Many of these will be held at the Potenza Lounge, including a celebration of Italian cuisine and the Italian Store and Shop, which allows you a great chance to purchase Italian foods and novelties. There will also be plenty of activities for kids as well, so the whole family should come to Denver for the fantastic Columbus Day parade.
The country’s oldest Italian heritage parade celebrated on Columbus Day will take place this year in San Francisco, with the parade’s Grand Marshal being Tommy Lasorda. More than 400,000 people are expected to visit this enormous display of cultural heritage, San Francisco’s 140th anniversary of the event. It will be held on Sunday, October 12, and it is the city’s oldest civic event. Starting at Fisherman’s Wharf, the parade winds its way through the San Francisco, eventually arriving at North Beach. Dozens of hand-crafted parade floats sponsored by area business are slated to participate in the parade, one that promises to be more enormous, bright, and colorful than ever. Community groups, Italian organizations, high school Italian clubs, and local marching bands will also be on hand to make the parade special. Other special appearances will include Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella and her court. North Beach will be chock full of festive open-air dining, Italian wine and food specials, and a variety of performances by Italian musicians and performance artists. If you are within travelling distance to San Francisco, you most certainly should make your way out to the parade.
Of course, no holiday would be complete without a parade in New York City, and the city delivers, with an event that attracts over 500 of New York’s most distinguished people of Italian heritage. Parades in New York City are always larger than life, and the Columbus Day parade is no exception, drawing thousands of people and filling New York City’s diverse streets with colorful floats, marching bands, and the rest of the standard parade accoutrements. The New York Columbus Day parade, along with those in several other large cities, have drawn much controversy from special interest groups that do not think that the country should celebrate Columbus day at all, so if you do plan to attend a Columbus Day parade in a major metropolitan area, do not be surprised if you see several protestors trying to get Columbus Day parades wiped off the map in general. Otherwise, the New York City Columbus Day parade is one that you should try to see if you are near the Big Apple because no one else does parades like New York City.
Although Christopher Columbus did not find a new naval route to India, he did find the American continent, which paved the way for the New World to exist as it does today. Columbus Day is a time to celebrate his expedition across the Atlantic Ocean, but also to acknowledge the work that our forefathers put into preparing the land for our use. Columbus Day parades are a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday, filled with colorful floats, exciting events, marching bands, marchers, and plenty of other things to draw the whole family. Whether you are in Colorado, California, New York, or any of the other states in the United States, chances are you can find a Columbus Day parade to celebrate the holiday.
