In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.
He sailed by night, he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.
There are many more stanzas to this poem, but that is all I really remember from my elementary school days of memorizing things. Columbus was a big day in the 50's. We got school off, there were parades, and a large fuss was made over Columbus finding America. I can remember as a child Columbus Day sales where stores took advantage of the day off for some.
I think today Columbus Day has gone pretty much not noticed. You might remember it when you find no mail in your mail box. You might realize it if you go to a state or federal office and it is closed. Perhaps your bank is not open today and that just frustrates your rather than have you celebrate the day of Columbus.
517 years later we strain our brains to remember this dude. We are here and most people could care less as to how we all came to have this land. It is a political hot button as there are cultures that believe Columbus was not the man who found this land. To quote the generation of today, "whatever." Still, I do miss the bulletin boards in the my old classrooms and the fuss over this day. Don't go messing with Thanksgiving. I have my green bean casserole already planned.
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