Named after the master navigator and admiral of the ocean sea, Columbus Day is a holiday commemorated on the second Monday of October. It marks the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus that opened the trade route between the Old World and the New World. Columbus Day is celebrated in many parts of the world including Mexico, Spain and Italy, each country having its own name for the holiday and festive traditions. In the U.S, it is usually celebrated with a grand Columbus Day parade with hundreds of Italian-Americans in attendance but following years of backlash from the Native Americans against the day, many states in the U.S have renamed the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the Native American culture and heritage. Are you confused about how to celebrate Columbus Day without hurting anyone’s sentiments? We’ve got your back! There are plenty of ways you can commemorate the day without rocking the boat. So, channel your inner discoverer and explore our exciting and fun Columbus Day celebration ideas and decorations that’ll help uplift your spirits.
Gather Your Crew For A Brunch Party
When it comes to celebrating long-weekend holidays, throwing a brunch party is a surefire way to enjoy quality time with your loved ones. Moreover, Columbus Day falls when the blissful autumn season is at its peak, so it’s the perfect time to host a brunch party complete with seasonal foods and delicacies. Usher in the patriotic flair with your Columbus Day brunch party decorations and stylishly outfit your dining or kitchen table with a navy & white striped table runner. For the centerpiece, arrange a couple of tall white floral stems in a sea glass bottle or glass jar covered with fishnet to imbue an enticing sea-inspired charm into your tabletop decor. Furthermore, either use red & white striped napkins to flaunt the colors of the flag in your table decor or match the runner with navy & white striped napkins and opt for red cushions to decorate the chairs adding a striking contrast to your table setup.
However, if you want to take your celebration up a notch, host your Columbus Day brunch party on a marina pier or rent a sailboat for the ultimate seafaring experience. The scenic waterfront views will augment your holiday festivities to the next level. Arrange your appetizers and petit fours with seashell or flag picks on a multi-tiered cake stand to stylishly display them while also saving on space and use disposable mini wooden food boats and disposable dinnerware for easy servings.
Map Out The Route On The Wall
Since Christopher Columbus is credited with putting the Americas on the map, decking out a wall with a world map is definitely a genius way to commemorate his achievements. Mount a large-sized map on an empty, windowless wall and adorn it with bulb string lights to highlight your wall decor. However, you can also use LED strip lights to track the voyage route from Europe to America to signify the expedition. In case you’re having a casual get together with friends and family and are searching for exciting Columbus Day activities to boost everyone’s spirits, turn your map into a board for a dart game to liven up your party. Stick the world map on Styrofoam sheets and mount it on the wall for an easy setup. Moreover, attach red, blue, and white-colored feathers to your darts for a subtle reference to both the Native American culture and patriotism.
Display Exotic Spices
Columbus was looking for a trade route from Europe to the Far East and the Spice Islands when he set sail across the oceans. So, opening up your spice rack and learning about exotic foreign spices is something you should consider to spice things up at your Columbus Day party. Fill up glass jars with aromatic spices labeling them with chalkboard stickers and hand them out to your friends and family to get the conversation started. Also, create a unique garland using lidded plastic jars filled with native herbs and spices and hang them with red, blue, and white ribbons to infuse a hint of Native American culture into your celebrations.
Bring Nautical Accents On Board
Whether you’re hosting a big house party for this year’s Columbus Day celebrations or you’re planning to keep things in the family, unleash your creativity and add festive touches to your home to signify important cultural and historic roots. Take a look at these creative home decorating ideas to mark Columbus Day in style.
Gather nautical-inspired décor accents to make your mantelshelf ready for Columbus Day. Spread decorative fishnet on the shelf and juxtapose a toy sailboat with a couple of wooden pillar candle holders for a stunning rustic flair. Also, scatter around natural seashells to infuse a sea-inspired charm into your decorations.
Need a striking showpiece to highlight your mantelshelf decor? Grab a globe and embellish it with artificial peony bloom heads, daisies, and other fall flowers to add a lovely seasonal touch to your decorations while referencing the famous voyage through the globe.
If you have an awesome collection of 3D sailboat puzzle toys, Columbus Day is the day to put them all on display! Stack and arrange rustic whitewashed wooden crates in a prominent corner in your living room or on your porch and perch your mini sailboats on top for a fascinating display. You can also paint the boats in patriotic colors to showcase your national spirit.
Let your patriotism shine and get on board with these amazing Columbus Day ideas to commemorate this day with zeal. So, how are you going to celebrate Columbus Day 2021? Let us know your plans in the comments section below!
