Skip Navigation
You Are In: About Us > Embassy News > Press Releases 07 > Oct 05, 07
Skip Left Section Navigation

Press Releases

U.S. Mission closed Monday for “Columbus Day”

October 5, 2007

The American Embassy in Dar es Salaam will be closed on Monday, October 8, for the Columbus Day holiday. U.S. Mission entities including the Consular Offices, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Peace Corps offices will reopen on Tuesday, October 9, 2007.

A statement from the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam said that Columbus Day, which is also referred to as “A Day of Discovery”, commemorates Christopher Columbus’ voyage from Spain in 1492, which launched an era of discovery and exploration that continues today. In commemoration of Columbus' journey, in 1934 the U.S. Congress passed a resolution requesting that the President proclaim the second Monday of October of each year as "Columbus Day."

Last year when he proclaimed the holiday, President George W. Bush explained that Columbus' brave expeditions expanded the horizons of human knowledge and inspired generations of risk-takers and pioneers in America and around the world. He said "our Nation is built on the efforts of men and women who possess both the vision to see beyond what is and the desire to pursue what might be. Today, the same passion for discovery that drove Columbus is leading bold visionaries to explore the frontiers of space, find new energy sources, and solve our most difficult medical challenges.

Columbus Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the heritage we share with the legendary explorer, the important relationship between the United States and Italy, and the proud Italian Americans who call our Nation home. “Italian Americans have strengthened our country and enriched our culture, and through service in our Armed Forces, many have defended our Nation with courage and helped lay the foundation of peace for generations to come,” President Bush said.

The traditional Columbus Day in the United States includes a parade down New York's Fifth Avenue. Parades and pageantry are often featured in smaller towns and cities.