In Latin America primarily among Hispanic countries, the Dia de la Raza(Day of the Races) is celebrated annually on 12th October instead of the Columbus Day.
This day as it is called the 'Race Day' celebrates both the mixed indigenous and European(primarily Spanish) heritage of the continent. Instead of celebrating the discovery of Americas by the Columbus which is seen as the symbol of colonization this day celebrates all the people of Americas today be it of indigenous or European heritage.
The day is generally observed as a national holiday in Spanish countries and in Spanish communities. There is a controversial element to the holiday as well, but all in all it is a festive holiday.
| Event | Dia de la Raza |
|---|---|
| Date | October 12, 2022 |
| Day | Wednesday |
| Significance | Dia de la Raza (Day of the Races) is observed on October 12th instead of Columbus Day. |
| Observed by | World wide |
Dia de la Raza History:
On 12th October 1492, Christopher Columbus an Italian explorer sent by Spain discovered the continent of America and it was at this moment when the Europeans first came into contact with the indigenous people of the Americas. Well it is also believed that before Columbus also people had discovered like that of Leif Erikson but it was during Columbus voyage only which led to permanent settlement of Europeans into the Americas.
Later we all know that this led to the push of the colonization of the Americas and that's why Columbus is seen as a symbol of colonization as he also supported the colonization efforts and largely discriminated against the indigenous people of the Americas. Soon we saw large European powers like British, French and Spanish fighting for the control over the Americas however the people who suffered the most during this was the indigenous people of the Americas as they were largely persecuted to make room for the incoming Europeans so they were robbed of their lands and in many cases were also massacred.
At last it was the Spanish who became the most successful in conquering most of the Americas thus creating the Latin America which is one world in itself today. Whereas the British were largely successful in conquering the North Americas which later formed the powerful countries of the United States and Canada. However in Latin America unlike the North America it was seen that people started to get mixed with the races of Europeans and the indigenous people thus creating a new mixed race called the Mestizos which makes the majority of population in many of the Latin American countries today.
Hence when the United States and Canafa started to celebrate Columbus Day very grandly around the start of the 1900s the day received massive backlash in the Latin world and so as a rejection to celebrate the Columbus Day the Latin American decided to replace it with the Dia de la Raza or the day of the races to celebrate the heritage of all the indigenous and Spanish heritage people. Through evidences it is believed that the celebrations of this festival were first started between 1912 and 1921 and by the end of the First World War this festival became very prominent in Latin American world.
Along with celebrating the Spanish heritage of the Latin American world this holiday also celebrates the heritage of the indigenous people of the Americas and thus it received support from both the Spanish and indigenous communities of the Americas. And today it is a massive celebrations in the Latin American world or among the Latin American communities in North America and it is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm.
Dia de la Raza Significance:
Dia de la Raza is a festival of celebrations but that doesn't mean that all events of the past are forgotten during this festival but they are largely remembered and people during this time also makes promises to reach other to never let anything to happen in future like that again. This day also honors the sacrifices which are made by the indigenous people in keeping their identity alive while fighting against the oppressive colonial rulers.
This festival is also known as Dia de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Heritage Day), Dia de la Resistencia Indigena (Indigenous Resistance Day) or Dia de la Diversidad Cultural (Cultural Diversity Day), the Dia de la Raza is a controversial commemoration as the historic events that started on this day in 1492 can be seen through two very different lenses.
On one hand, people would argue that this date was the beginning of the history of the modern American nations, and the introduction of the American continent to the rest of the world. However this makes it view as Eurocentric. On the other hand, people believes that on October 12, 1492, was the start of a process of death and subjugation of native indigenous people by European nations. This view states that celebrating the person who made that possible (Christopher Columbus) doesn’t make any sense.
For this reason, they came up with the idea of celebrating the unique race that was created as a result of this encounter between the native American cultures and the European ones. And this race today is known as Mestizo which forms a major chunk of population of the Latin American world.
Dia de la Raza Celebrations:
Today many latin American countries and Spanish speaking countries celebrates this day annually on 12th October like Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Uruguay which celebrates it as Dia de la Raza. Many other countries have given different names to the celebrations of this festival such as 'Hispanic Heritage Day' in Spain, 'Respect to Cultural Diversity' in Argentina or 'Indigenous Resistance Day' in Nicaragua and Venezuela.
On Dia de la Raza, all Spanish-speaking cultures and nations rejoice and celebrate their identity with colorful parades, traditional dance and music events, serving of traditional food at various places or at a feast, and many more such events. There are even scholarship opportunities which are offered to Hispanic students on this day.
The way of Celebrations during this gestival also diggers from place to place like in Mexico Dia de la Raza was declared a national holiday in 1928, however, in 1993 the Mexican Ministry of Education declared that it was a normal school day and it’s not an official holiday ever since. In Columbia the celebration of Dia de la Raza includes historical representations and flower offerings in memory of the indigenous peoples lost during the conquest and colonization processes in the country. While Puerto Rico it is celebrated on the date same as the US and it is also celebrated as the 'Friendship Day'.
Many awareness campaigns, rallies or public speeches are also held on this day for making people aware about the importance of the day. In many places special cultural programs are also organized on this day to mark the celebrations of it. Organizations or charity also take use of the opportunity to raise funds on this day for the betterment of the indigenous people.
Most Searched FAQs on Dia de la Raza:
1. When is Dia de la Raza celebrated?
Dia de la Raza is celebrated annually on 12th October in many Latin American countries.
2. Who celebrates Dia de la Raza?
Dia de la Raza is celebrated by all Spanish-speaking communities and it is official holiday in countries like Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Uruguay.
3. How do you celebrate Dia de la Raza?
Just like most festive holidays, Dia de la Raza is celebrated with grand firework displays, parades, lots of entertainment, and of course, celebrations won’t be complete without great food!