Set aside, for a moment, the controversy over whether Christopher Columbus's journey to the Americas should be celebrated at all. The holiday is, as it stands, a logistical headache. Fewer than half of states celebrate it, and almost no other offices do. Just 15 percent of private business close, the smallest proportion for any federal holiday. So if you're a parent in a Columbus Day-celebrating state — the ones in blue below — you're probably scrambling to find something for kids to do on Monday. [...]
Here's a better way to use Columbus Day: Make kids go to school that day, as they already do in 27 states. Celebrate Columbus Day by encouraging teachers to talk about the complicated legacy of Columbus in American history (including the day's significance for Italian Americans, who still faced discrimination themselves when it was established in 1937). Going to class on Columbus Day and talking about history makes the day a reason to explore America's past, not just an excuse for mattress sales. As it is now, it's not just a logistical headache for parents — it's a missed opportunity for real learning. [...]
We could make Columbus Day actually about history, and Veterans Day actually about service. In the meantime, if we really want to give everybody a day off in October or November, what about creating a holiday for Election Day?
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