Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in 1934.
However, people have celebrated Columbus' 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 400-year 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.
Since 1971, the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October, coincidentally the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada
(which was fixed to that date in 1959). It is generally observed today by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service and other federal
agencies, most state government offices, and some school districts. Most businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, however, and
there is a trend among some states and municipalities away from observing the holiday
*** Holiday information courtesy of Wikipedia ***
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