It may not be as enjoyable this year for federal workers who are getting an extended and potentially unpaid holiday, but it is a big day for the Spanish and Italian world.
In many Latino countries, it is known as the "Día de las Razas".
Fernando and Isabel conferred upon Christopher Columbus the perpetual title of "Admiral of the Ocean Sea", meaning that the title has passed on to his progeny.
The current admiral is Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal, the 18th Duke of Veragua. His duchy is in Panama, and he often represents the King of Spain in diplomatic matters. He's a retired naval officer, but is officially the second highest admiral in Spain after the King, of course.
Columbus was truly a citizen of the Mediterranean being born in Italy and serving both in Portugal and Spain. Sunday is the anniversary of his discovery of the new world.
