Columbus Day

I don’t remember every having the day off for Columbus Day while I was in school (kindergarten through university) and I definitely have never had the day off from work. And like most people in this country, I was taught that Christopher Columbus discovered America and opened the way for the colonies to be established and everything was just AWESOME! In the early grades, anyway. As I got older and learned more about Columbus and the true history of our country, skeletons and dirty laundry and all, the more I disliked this man.


In recent years there has been a more vocal opposition to the man and a holiday named after him. People have not only seen the skeletons in the closet and the dirty laundry, but are now saying they don’t want to glorify it either. Many cities have changed the name from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I think if we are going to keep this day as a holiday re-naming it and change its focus is the best option.

But as a parent, something like Columbus Day isn’t as simple as picking a side. Our school district does not give the day off, which works perfect for us not only because I am not being forced to address this holiday but because it’s not even a state holiday so I have to work. It works because now I have a year to come up with an explanation.

The calendar that we use is the Melissa & Doug magnetic calendar. This thing has been a life saver for us! Anyway, one of the many good features are the magnetic tiles with various holidays and activities. One of the holidays is Columbus Day. In the past I have put it on because in my mind it’s a holiday and it should be on there. This year, however, really thinking about where he is developmentally (he is asking A LOT of thought provoking questions but unable to make all the right conclusions on his own) and where he is academically (history hasn’t been focused on) and no one he knows is getting the day off anyway, I decided to leave it off the calendar and I am thankful that I am able to make that choice.

When we had Martin Luther King Jr. Day back in January he asked what that was and who that man was and why he got a holiday. It was a nice teachable moment that I am looking forward to again next year. His understanding of our history has grown and I see an opportunity to expand on the knowledge that was planted earlier this year. But I don’t know if, at (almost) 8, and with his delays, he is ready to know that a man is celebrated even though what we celebrate is a lie and what he started resulted in a lot of horrible things. He is understanding slaves and slavery, but he’s not ready for the slaughter of people because they are different and we want their land. I don’t think he can comprehend that even though we would not exist today if it weren’t for him, that our existence centuries later does not justify what happened or the foundation for racism against indigenous people that it set.

Though, in all honesty, many adults cannot comprehend that either.