Every October 12, in Spain especially, the Hispanic Day or National Holiday is celebrated . Although many countries commemorate this day, in our country it is of special importance as it celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the American continent, which was a paradigm shift throughout the world, and especially in Europe.
National Holiday Day
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus, two months after leaving from the port of Palos, arrived with his crew in what they believed to be India. Columbus’s ship arrived in San Salvador and the world would change forever. With the financing of the Catholic Monarchs, the discovery of America marked the change from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era, the age of navigators and discoveries.
From that day on, the Spanish explored the entire American continent together with the rest of the European countries, so that in the following centuries the world would change forever.
It was in 1935 when Hispanic Day was officially celebrated in Madrid for the first time. That day was not a holiday until 1981. Only 6 years later, in 1987 , Columbus Day changed its name. To stop being associated with colonialism, this day was renamed the National Holiday Day, and it was celebrated throughout the Spanish territory, coinciding with other festivals of singular importance such as those of the Virgen del Pilar in Zaragoza.
Armed Forces Day is back
The Columbus Day also coincides with the Day of the Armed Forces. This 2021, the events return to the streets of Madrid after the austere celebration that took place in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, on the rise at that time.
With the improvement in the health situation, the usual parade of every year will start from the Plaza de Lima, with the incorporation this year of the Honors Battalion of the Royal Guard. Afterwards, the kings will arrive to the act, the flag will be raised and the usual parade will begin.
Hispanidad in the world
Although the festive character is much more latent in Spain, in many other countries Hispanic Day is also celebrated. In the United States, a day dedicated to the figure of Christopher Columbus is celebrated, and in Latin America it is dedicated to the discovery of America.
Costa Rica celebrates the Day of Cultures, the Discovery Day in the Bahamas or the Day of Indigenous Resistance in Venezuela.
