U.S. embassy to close Monday on Columbus Day

The U.S. Embassy will be closed on Monday, October 9, in observance of the U.S. holiday, Columbus Day.  All normal services will resume Tuesday, October 10. 

The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the United States took place on October 12, 1792. Organized by the Society of St. Tammany, also known as the Columbian Order, it commemorated the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ landing. Since 1971, when Columbus Day was designated the second Monday in October, it has been celebrated as a federal holiday. In many locations across the country Americans hold parades to commemorate the day.

Early in the morning of October 12, 1492, a sailor began a new era of European exploration and expansion. As a reward for his valuable discovery, the Spanish crown granted Columbus the right to bear arms.