Happy Columbus Day Weekend!

SRC54

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.

RobWilk

Happy Columbus Day weekend to you/all as well. May not be obvious from my German last name, but according to one of my DNA read-outs, I'm more than 50% Italian - mostly from my Mom's side.

-Rob

SRC54

Buona Festa di Colombo. My granddad's name was Lorenzo so always thought we had some too, but apparently not.

@RobWilk

UrsulaA

In Latin America, we celebrate this on October 12. My father was born on this day too.

DryHeat

@UrsulaA — "In Latin America, we celebrate this on October 12."

The day is also celebrated under a lot of different names, depending on where you are in Latin America.

Here in Tucson we hear it called "Columbus Day," but sometimes also "Día de la Raza." About 70 miles south of here in Mexico it officially switched from "Día de la Raza" to "Día de la Nación Pluricultural" four or five years ago. It's a complicated world.