Never cared about it really, and no one I know does either. Maybe Italians do like that episode of Sopranos, I dunno. We now know he didn't really discover anything, and records show he wasn't a good person, so... meh.

We should have a Native American history day, that would be cool.

I've googled the holiday and my main question is:

Why does Indigenous People's Day is celebrated on Columbus Day? I mean, sure, that was a replacement for PC sake, but we in Russia also replaced October Revolution Day with Unity Day, however we also shifted the date from November 7th (date of actual communist revolution that lead to forming USSR) to November 4th (a date close enough to 7th, but also connected to another important event in Russian history - uprising against Polish-Lithuanian occupation in 1612).

To me it looks like a sloppy job. If someone wanted to commemorate Native Americans, it would be better to choose some significant date in those peoples' calendar, not just slap another name for arrival of Columbus to America.

I dont like it at all.
Even though i realize it is well intentioned, what you are doing is perpetuating the idea in peoples minds that a certain group of people are 'Indigenous' and therefore somehow different and separate to and or as having a superior connection with the land to everyone else. The reality is, we are all human beings, all with the same human potential.... if a Native American wants to be a brain surgeon, why not? They are just as capable, just as human as anyone else.

Last I've checked; Lech and Rus were brothers, maybe someone wanted brothers in conflict!?

What are you talking about?

I could get behind that last bit....sounds like a good idea and a bit better than the title we currently use for the holiday/

==========================I think they wanted to celebrate those who were here before the rest of us("non natives"), and wanted to change the holiday as well due to what we now know about columbus. They had a holiday essentially open so they decided to run with it. Also afaik many days are already claimed by some other holiday or other here(local or non-local).

Also also thanks for the bit of a history lesson/culture lesson on Russian holidays.

================================I'm guessing you mean just the name?

It was likely chosen by committee/etc to replace Columbus day(due to how some now perceive Columbus) and to promote the peoples who lived on the lands before us. Yes, they could've most likely picked a better name, but what's done is done(unless they change it again).

Also thanks for adding your views and opinions...they are appreciated.

When I was a kid we went on holiday to Florida. We picked a random day to go to Disney World and it was so packed we hardly got on any rides. Turns out it was Columbus Day. I'm guessing it must be a bank holiday for you?

I do not recall if it is, but I know many(an understatement) stores and businesses use it as an excuse to sell more stuff to people with the "best deals ever"/etc.

It is also(or was until the name change...dunno about now) a school holiday(iirc) and one of those more minor holidays we name after people but don't really do much to honor(the day or the people) like with bigger holidays. In how much some celebrate it it is like president's day/MLK Day/etc.

We don't have either of those days either. We do have days for the patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland though. You don't get a day off for it or even do anything (in England), except Saint Patrick's Day where people seem to like to wear silly hats and drink a lot.

We do that here too, but sometimes subtly nowadays due to talks of "cultural appropriation" any time someone uses something from another culture.

Which is especially ironic, since all cultures on Earth developed and evolved by adopting things from other cultures. In fact, stating that you can't borrow some idea or symbol from another culture, because that's that culture's property is exactly what appropriation (claiming that something is your property) is.

Perhaps, but that isn't what this thread was supposed to be about, so i'll leave it there....although my PM box is open if you ever want to chat(as always).

(Also sorry for the low rating trolls hitting you as well. They do that to discourage people from replying to me...which should also be against the rules, if it isn't yet already.)