OCTOBER 12 MEETING BETWEEN WORLDS

Columbus Day is one of several names given to October 12, the day that commemorates the navigation and exploration of the American continent by Christopher Columbus and his crew in 1492.

This day is remembered in much of Latin America, Spain and the United States. Its origin dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, initially spontaneously and unofficially, to commemorate the new cultural identity, the product of the encounter and fusion between the indigenous peoples of America and the Spanish conquerors, in addition to the enhancement of the Hispanic-American cultural heritage.

Although the name "Columbus Day" is the most popular today, the official name usually varies from one country to another. At the same time, some countries have chosen to clearly vindicate the positions of the native peoples and have decided to commemorate this date as the "Day of indigenous resistance." In Mexico, in the 1980s there was a broad debate on which of two concepts would be the most appropriate: "Invention of America" or "Encounter between Worlds", proposed by two Mexican historians, with the second proposal gaining more affinity.

The important point in the celebration of the “Meeting between Worlds” is that it is based on a historical event on a world scale: it is possible to document for the first time how the inhabitants of the European continent came into contact with the inhabitants of the American continent. This meeting gave rise to a fusion of cultures and the birth of a Spanish-American civilization.