What is Celebrated on Hispanic Day? Which Other Countries Observe October 12th?
What is Hispanic Day? According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), it refers to "the generic character of all the peoples of Spanish language and culture." UNESCO designates October 12th as "Spanish Language Day."
October 12th in Spain
The celebration of October 12th in our country was established at the end of the 19th century, coinciding with the four-hundredth anniversary of the Discovery. On September 23, 1892, the regent queen, María Cristina, issued a Royal Decree at the proposal of President Cánovas del Castillo declaring October 12, 1892, as a national holiday in commemoration of the Discovery of America.
In 1913, the National Holiday was renamed "Race Day" at the suggestion of Faustino Rodríguez Sampedro from the Ibero-American Union organization. In 1918, it gained the status of National Holiday in Spain. The term Hispanicity, which had fallen into disuse by the early 20th century, was revived in 1926 by priest Zacarías de Vizcarra as a slightly more reasonable alternative to "Race Day." Despite support from many intellectuals like Ramiro de Maeztu to call it "Hispanic Day," it retained the name "Race Day" throughout Franco's regime.
In 1982, after the 1978 Constitution, October 12th was reflected in the BOE as "National Holiday of Spain and Hispanic Day." In 1987, the designation was changed again and became simply "National Holiday of Spain" (excluding "Hispanic Day").
Currently, the National Holiday is celebrated with a military parade attended by the Royals, followed by a reception for authorities and representatives from various fields of society.
What is Celebrated on October 12th in Latin America?
In Latin America, the date of the discovery is not something "to celebrate" as it is linked to the Spanish colonization of the Americas since the 16th century and the oppression of Indigenous peoples. Therefore, for many, it carries a negative connotation, while others have taken the opportunity to change its meaning and honor Indigenous peoples, essentially reversing what the "holiday" originally meant.
- In Argentina, "Race Day" was no longer celebrated (it was also called that there). Argentines maintain the celebration, but since 2010 it is known as "Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity."
- In Bolivia, then-president Evo Morales changed the name through a decree in 2011 to "Day of Decolonization."
- In Ecuador, Rafael Correa also changed the name and meaning in 2011. From "Race Day," it became "Day of Interculturality and Plurinationality" to highlight the colonization process suffered by Indigenous peoples for centuries.
- In Peru, a similar case occurred. In 2009, Congress passed a law changing the celebration on October 12th to "Day of Indigenous Peoples and Intercultural Dialogue."
- In Venezuela, Hugo Chávez eliminated the celebration of Race Day in 2002, renaming it to "Day of Indigenous Resistance."
And in the United States?
In the United States, it has historically been referred to as "Columbus Day," and there is division regarding the holiday because in some states it is celebrated with parades and festivities, while in others, the celebration has been removed and replaced with a holiday honoring the colonized peoples.
Recently, it was announced that Washington, D.C., the capital of the country, has joined the list of states and cities that will no longer celebrate "Columbus Day" but will instead observe "Indigenous Peoples Day," following the lead of other major U.S. cities like Los Angeles and Seattle, which have already eliminated this holiday.
As in the case of Latin America, pressure from various groups has led to more states opting to change the meaning of the celebration. Specifically, seven states and over 130 cities in the United States have eliminated the observance of this holiday.