Jessie

导读：10月的第二个星期一是哥伦布日。这个节日是纪念哥伦布于1492年首次登上美洲大陆。

Columbus Day， which is on the second Monday of October， remembers Christopher Columbus arrival to the Americas on October 12， 1492. This holiday is not loved by everyone because the European coming in the Americas completely changed the life of the native Americans.

Some Americans celebrate the holiday of the discovery of their country with church services and other activities. In some towns and cities， special church services and large events are held. Many celebrations happen in the Italian-American living area. The celebrations in New York and San Francisco are very big. In Hawaii Columbus Day is celebrated as Discoverers Day， but it is not a state holiday.

Columbus day is a public holiday in many parts of the United states， but is not a day off in some states. Some government offices are closed because Columbus Day is still a government holiday.Many businesses and shops are open in states that dont have Columbus Day as a public holiday. Schools are not asked to close but some may still close. The same goes for post offices.

Christopher Columbus is often considered as the first European to sail to the Americas. He is sometimes known as the discoverer of the New World. However， some people dont believe it. There is proof that the first Europeans to sail across the Atlantic were Vikings from Scandinavia. In addition， the land was already populated by native people， who had ‘discovered the Americas thousands of years before.

Columbus Day was first celebrated in San Francisco in 1869. The first state-wide celebration was held in Colorado in 1907. In 1937， Columbus Day became a holiday across the United States. Since 1971， it has been celebrated on the second Monday in October.

Vocabulary

native adj. 土著的

viking n. 海盗

（What else do you know about Columbus？）