Day of respect for cultural diversity around the world in 2020

When is this holiday?

The date of Columbus' arrival in the Americas is celebrated in Central and South America as the Día de la Raza ("day of the race"), commemorating the first encounters of Europe and Native Americans. It is a celebration of the diversity among Native Americans and Europeans.

The day commemorates the date when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas. In the USA it is observed on the Second Monday in October.

Columbus' voyages across the Atlantic Ocean initiated the European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

While the first voyage in 1492 was immensely significant, Columbus did not actually reach the American mainland until his 3rd voyage in 1498. Instead, while trying to find a sea route to India, he made landfall on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador.

He was also not the earliest European explorer to reach the Americas, with the indisputable evidence of Norsemen having reached the mainland of North America centuries before.

The day was first celebrated in Argentina in 1917, Venezuela in 1921, Chile in 1923, Colombia in 1921 and Mexico in 1928.

Dates of Day of respect for cultural diversity around the world
2022 Various Oct 10, Oct 12, Oct 17  2021 Various Oct 12  2020 Various Oct 12  2019 Various Oct 12, Oct 14  2018 Various Oct 12, Oct 15