Pan American Day in Belize in 2020

When is Pan American Day?

The day commemorates the date when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas on October 12th 1492.

The date of Columbus' arrival in the Americas is also 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.

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.

Dates of Pan American Day in Belize
2022 Wed, Oct 12 Public and Bank Holiday 2021 Mon, Oct 11 Public and Bank Holiday (in lieu) 2020 Mon, Oct 12 Public and Bank Holiday 2019 Mon, Oct 14 Public and Bank Holiday (in lieu) 2018 Mon, Oct 15 Public and Bank Holiday