What is Columbus Day? Holiday is rooted in Italian American heritage

President Donald Trump celebrated Italians after he signed a proclamation for Columbus Day 2025.

“Columbus Day we’re back, Italians,” Trump said at the White House Oct. 9. “We love the Italians.”

At the surface level, Columbus Day honors the explorer Christopher Columbus. But the holiday has notable connections to the Italian American experience in 19th-century America.

Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1892 in the United States, in part, to honor Italian Americans after a xenophobic attack.

When is Columbus Day 2025?

The United States will celebrate Columbus Day on Oct. 13, 2025. The American government continues to honor Columbus Day on the second Monday in October.

What is Columbus Day? Columbus Day’s roots in Italian American history

President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed Oct. 21, 1892, the first national Columbus Day to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ exploration of America. Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492 and explored the Caribbean and South America in future voyages. Harrison intended the holiday to be a one-time celebration.

For the president, Columbus Day was an opportunity to resolve a diplomatic crisis with Italy and gain favor with Italian American voters after rioters in New Orleans lynched 11 Italian Americans the year prior.

The attack occurred after a police chief in New Orleans was killed by four men near his home. It was thought the chief had blamed the attack on Italian immigrants in his dying words, according to the BBC.

Several Italian American men were put on trial and found not guilty for lack of evidence, according to the Library of Congress. A large mob then stormed the jail and dragged out 11 Italian Americans and killed them, including two men jailed on other offenses.

The attack infuriated Italy and Italians, who were upset that the United States didn’t hold accountable those involved in the mob.

Many communities were already planning to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Italian-born Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. So, Harrison issued a proclamation to make the anniversary a national holiday as a means to placate tensions.

When did Columbus Day become a permanent national holiday?

Columbus Day became a permanent national holiday in 1934. Congress authorized President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare the holiday after lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, according to the Washington Post. The designated date was Oct. 12. In 1971, the holiday was made a federal holiday on the second Monday in October.

Is Columbus Day controversial?

Columbus Day has come under fire due to Columbus’ legacy and brutal treatment of the indigenous people who lived in the Americas. He and his men enslaved the indigenous people, according to History.com.

Critics say Columbus embodied colonialism. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, “During the colonialism era, human values were at an all-time low and class stratification led to a hierarchical oppression that is bewildering to us today.”

USA TODAY reporter Zac Anderson and Memphis Commercial Appeal reporter Jordan Green contributed to this report.