Columbus Day was a fun fall holiday from school when I was a child. 
 Nowadays, it’s not always celebrated on the exact day, but usually spans a weekend.  This year, the Monday holiday is October 12.
In New Hampshire, where I live, this is the height of the foliage season, when the leaves are at their most colorful somewhere in the state.  So we’re visited by many travelers who enjoy this season, too.
It’s a weekend for festivals, travel, visits to relatives, barbecues and fun.  It’s pumpkin time and apple picking, too.
How are you recognizing Columbus Day…in school and at home?  Are they learning …read more

I was wondering why we still have a parade each year for Christopher Columbus — if it’s historically well-documented that he was not the first explorer to have stepped foot on American soil. (And that he may not be of Italian heritage.)
The most well known figures from our history lessons would be Leif Ericsson, Jacques Cartier, John and Sebastian Cabot, the Norwegians, the Hebrews, and of late — the Chinese?
And let’s not forget Americo Vespucci who will be remembered as the man after whom America was named. Afterall, until his death, Columbus thought he had reached Asia. At least Vespucci …read more