Happy Columbus Day: Quotes, Wishes, Messages, Images, Date, and More

A historical event is something that is very important and is relevant even today. It marks certain happenstances that brought a change to human civilization or a revolution. There are several days celebrated in the world that marks a significant event in history.

Introduction of Columbus Day

Columbus Day is celebrated by Americans and Italians and is generally observed on the second Monday in the month of October. It is celebrated as a holiday in the United States of America and marks the day when Christopher Columbus set foot on the land of America in 1942. It honours the achievements of Christopher Columbus and celebrates the Italian-American culture and heritage. This day is also known as Indigenous People’s Day.

History of Columbus Day

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and was born in Genoa. He was an explorer under the reign of the Hispanic Monarchy. In order to expand the Spanish empire, he was bent upon finding a sea route to the far East in the year 1492. He could not do that but managed to discover America instead. His exploration was the beginning of innumerable voyages towards the “new world’’ for centuries, which led to the formation and colonization of modern-day North and South America.

Columbus became popular after America attained independence from the British during the eighteenth century. The name “Columbia’’ soon began to be associated with the United States of America. It began to be used to mark various landmarks situated in the newly made nation.

Benjamin Harrison, the President of The United States in 1892, called upon the American citizens to celebrate Columbus Day on the four hundredth anniversary of the historical event. He aimed to observe a federal holiday that would honour both the Native Americans and the immigrants of the country, particularly the Catholics and the Italians. The main aspect of the day was to celebrate American history as a whole, and not just Civil Wars or the time since Independence. Teachers, politicians, poets and preachers, everyone was bent upon spreading the ideas and preaching of patriotism towards the country. The themes around these patriotic ideologies were the importance of loyalty towards the country, boundaries for citizens and celebrating social progress and advancement. 

Columbus Day serves as a reminder to the American citizens- both Natives and immigrants that they can embrace new cultures and ethnicity while simultaneously practising and preserving their own rituals and customs.

Columbus Day 2023 Date

• When is Columbus Day 2023?

Columbus Day for the year 2023 is celebrated/observed on Monday, 9 October.

• Columbus Day dates for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031

Columbus Day Quotes

• Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World – by Christopher Columbus
• Perhaps, after all, America never has been discovered. I myself would say that it had merely been detected. — Oscar Wilde.
• He stands in history as the completer of the globe. — John Sterling
• Every ship that comes to America got its chart from Columbus. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• He stands in history as the completer of the globe.— John Sterling
• America's one of the finest countries anyone ever stole. — Bobcat Goldthwait
• A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. — John A. Shedd
• The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. — Marcel Proust
• One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time. — André Gide
• What a pity, when Christopher Columbus discovered America, that he ever mentioned it. — Margot Asquith
• In all parts of the Old World, as well as of the New, it was evident that Columbus had kindled a fire in every mariner's heart. That fire was the harbinger of a new era, for it was not to be extinguished. — Charles Kendall Adams.
• If Columbus had an advisory committee, he would probably still be at the dock – by Arthur Goldberg
• Columbus went around the world in 1492. That isn't a lot of strokes when you consider the course. -Lee Trevino.

Happy Columbus Day Wishes 

• Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul. 
• Let us celebrate Columbus Day with a promise to find the hidden Columbus in ourselves who lived a thrilling and adventurous life.
• Discoveries are the reason that today we find ourselves living in a big world, full of diversities and beauties….. Wishing you a very Happy Columbus Day.
• Celebrate Columbus day by exploring and discovering something. Happy Columbus Day
• Columbus is an inspiration for all of us…. Let's get inspired by him and celebrate Columbus Day.
• Let us celebrate Columbus Day by taking inspiration from Columbus to have a life different from the league.
• Columbus Day will always have a special place in every American citizen's heart because it was on this 1. glorious day we were discovered….. Happy Columbus Day to you.
• I went to the sea from the tenderest age and have continued in sea life to this day. Wherever anyone has sailed, there I have sailed.
• Believe in your dream, pursue it until it appears in its entirety. Happy Columbus Day

Happy Columbus Day Messages 

• Happy Columbus Day from my shore to yours!
• Sending my best wishes on Columbus Day to you….. May you become as adventurous, imaginative and intelligent as Columbus.
• As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives by force, in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts. And so it was that they soon understood us, and we them, either by speech or by signs, and they have been very serviceable.
• I wish we were also born in times when there were undiscovered countries, and we were also associated the same way….. Best wishes on Columbus Day to you.
• Take new challenges, keep pushing your boundaries and you can also become a Columbus with your hard work.
• Happy Columbus Day. I wish that you discover many things that are brighter and more beautiful!
• Columbus Day, let's go exploring.
• Every ship that ever came to America got its charts from Columbus…. Cheers to Columbus!!!
• You never know what your discoveries can give to the world…. Happy Columbus Day
• You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. Happy Columbus Day.
• We all have a Columbus inside us, but we all need to find him and become a success.

Significance of Columbus Day

Columbus Day is very much significant because it was because of the curiosity and courage of Christopher Columbus that the land of North and South America were discovered. But some people do not agree that Columbus Day is a federal holiday like Christmas, and there are a lot of controversies regarding this topic. 

As a matter of fact, Christopher Columbus was not the first explorer to discover America. Five hundred years before Christopher Columbus set out on his historic voyage, Leif Erikson was the first European explorer to discover America. In spite of being a Leif Erikson Day celebrated around the same time as Columbus Day, it is not as popular and is not widely recognized, and neither is it celebrated as a federal holiday. 

Also, the Red Indians had been living in the West Indies or in America thousands of years before Columbus discovered America. Some states do not even consider celebrating Columbus Day due to this reason. They celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, which is observed on the same day as Columbus Day. This holiday is slowly getting the recognition it deserves and proving that the contribution of Christopher Columbus was insignificant. Indigenous People’s Day might fully take over Columbus Day at some point.

But on the other hand, some people believe that if Columbus had not discovered America, then probably it would not have come into existence. His expedition led to a continuous European presence in America. The main motive of the day was to commemorate the Catholic heritage because Columbus was a Catholic of Italian origin. 

But most people celebrate this day to honour the Italian explorer, and merely as a federal holiday, to get a break from their stressful daily life. 

How is Columbus Day celebrated?

Columbus Day is mostly celebrated in the United States of America. On this occasion, many Italian-American residents celebrate their culture and heritage by taking out parades and processions on the streets. The native people take this opportunity to celebrate the Native Americans’ culture, heritage and history. Some of the native population felt violated by the arrival of Columbus into their land. Many schools and business offices remain closed on this day, along with all government offices like post offices, banks etc.

Columbus Day is celebrated in a grand manner in San Francisco, and it is famous for the annual Columbus Day Parade, organized by the Italian-American community. 

Virginia celebrates Yorktown Victory Day (which is another national holiday) on the same day as Columbus Day. It is also celebrated as a national holiday in places like Puerto Rico.

• Celebrations in Latin America

Countries in South America like Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, and others celebrated Columbus Day when Columbus landed on the continent. They celebrate it as an official holiday, especially in Venezuela. Venezuela declared it as an official holiday in 1921, and it was known as Dia De La Raza. 

• Celebrations in Canada

Columbus Day in Canada is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is celebrated as a national holiday and falls on the same day as Thanksgiving. 

• Celebrations in Spain

Spain was the sponsor of Columbus’s Historical voyage, and this day is celebrated as a national holiday. Columbus Day recognizes all Hispanics around the world. It also highlights the importance of Spain in the discovery of America.

• Celebrations in the Caribbean

Columbus Day is celebrated in the Caribbean Islands, and they celebrate Columbus’s discovery of America and his arrival in the West Indies. The Bahamas celebrates this day as Discovery Day because it was the first land to be discovered by Christopher Columbus. This day is also celebrated in the Cayman Islands. 

Columbus Day is not celebrated in some American states like South Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii. These states observe some other holiday instead of Columbus Day. 

When Is Columbus Day Celebrated?

Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in the month of October. It will be celebrated on 11th November in 2021 and on 10th October in 2022. 

Facts About Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day

• According to popular belief, Christopher Columbus did not set out to prove that the Earth was round.
• Leif Erikson had already set foot in America before Columbus did.
• Santa Marina, one of Columbus’s ship, got wrecked during the Historical voyage.
• Columbus made four expeditions to America after its discovery.
• Christopher Columbus was not his actual name. he was referred to as Christovam, Christoual or Christofferus de Colombo.
• Christopher Columbus was not the best mathematician, and he made mistakes in his calculations.
• Some states in America do not celebrate Columbus Day. 
• The Bahamas refer to Columbus Day as Discovery Day because it was the first land to be discovered by Columbus.
• Columbus Day is also known as Indigenous People’s Day.

Columbus Day is celebrated in both America and Europe, and all the celebrations and festivities depict cultural diversity and richness. It is an opportunity for us to explore the various communities and their rituals and heritage.