Currently, we celebrate Columbus day every year, but not a whole lot of people really know his story.
And, as strange as it may seem... this story posted here recounts it quite well based on journal entries, communication between Columbus and the Queen of Spain, etc.
Read the writing in this link: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/columbus_day
Do some research, and you'll find that Christopher Columbus is a horrible man to honor and celebrate.
Replace Columbus day with Bartolomé Day. This man did some selfless, kind things to right the wrongs that Columbus had committed. We need to teach today's (and tomorrow's) children that what Columbus did was not OK, let alone celebrate.