Friday begins the long weekend ending with Columbus Day on Monday, October 10, 2011, and in Salt Lake City most public schools and state office are closed for the holiday. Post offices and DMV offices are also closed on Monday for Columbus Day.
People in Utah and around the US are searching for ideas of what to do for the long weekend. The weather in Salt Lake City has taken a drastic cold turn over the last few days, but the weekend itself looks partly sunny and in the upper 50s and low 60s. But with snow in the mountains already…many people want to stay indoors. And watching the New York City Columbus Day parade on television might be the best bet.
The first recorded event in history of a Columbus Day celebration in the United States was on October 12, 1792, and it celebrated the 300 year anniversary of Columbus discovering the United States.
Columbus Day officially became a state holiday in Colorado in 1905, but didn’t become a federal holiday until 1970. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison announced a celebration of the 400th Columbus Day anniversary. Teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach patriotism to their classes, according to Wikipedia.
For more history about Columbus Day and why we celebrate it, click here.
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Photography Exhibit at the 2011 Utah State Fair (slideshow)
Sources: Wikipedia
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