Welcome To World Blog Surf Day & Holidays Away From Home

Welcome once again to World Blog Surf Day! Take a tour around the blog-world as you link from country-to-country, expat-to-expat learning about one particular topic.

I took part last time when we discussed food. Now, we're describing holidays and celebrations in our new country. This time, though, WBSD catches me in an off mood. I've just started a new job, moved to a new house, just returned from 2 months in the US with family and I find myself off balance and out of sorts. I've had an equally difficult time getting my head around the holidays here in Salta and Argentina in general.

It seems there's a new one just about every week. Saints, soldiers, politicians. Holiday! A war begins, a war ends, a break in the war. Holiday! And while we've asked around for some sort of calendar of events, no one seems to have one. Yet everyone else seems to know about the holidays in advance.

We find out when we show up at Lila's school to find it vacant, doors shut and locked.

Then came October 12, Dia de la Raza.

Day of Race, I believe would be a adequate translation.

It's also called Día de las Culturas in Costa Rica, Día de las Américas in Uruguay. Día de la Resistencia Indígena in Venezuela. And Columbus Day in the United States.

Yes, Columbus Day. A day I can't remember celebrating ever. It is not a day off school. It is not a day stores are closed. It's really just a bank holiday, which general means very little to those of us bank-unaffiliated folk.

Even the most cursory knowledge of Native America culture, though, tells you this day is not a day of joy. In fact, there's been great opposition in even naming this day a holiday in the United States because of the connection with cultural genocide, murder, rape and kidnapping. Somehow the traditional United States public holiday of barbecues and going to the movies seems particularly unfitting, especially since Columbus never even set foot in North America

All of this would explain why I was shocked to learn October 12 is a true day off in Argentina.

Then again, why not? Renaming while still observing a holiday seeks to reposition the meaning of the day. It represents another side of history. In 2004, a pro-Chavez mob toppled a statue of Columbus in Caracas symbolically overthrowing the old regime as a statue of Saddam Hussein had been similarly brought down the year before in Baghdad.

In other countries, Dia de las Americas and Dia de la Resistencia Indigena focus on the culture existing in these great lands long before a European foot touched ground.

Myself, I often wonder how different South America would have been had European influence not arrived.

De la Raza is a day to commemorate another side of history, one only briefly touched in my high school history classes. This is not the day the Spanish conquistador entered a new land, claiming it for himself and his queen, but a day to remember how entire groups of people were murdered and enslaved.

It's a solemn day, a day of retrospection and a day during which all of us -- whatever the race, culture and affiliation -- can look inward and reflect.

Is it possible to reclaim a holiday in such a way? Does it truly allow all sides of the history to be represented? Let me know what you think in comments below.

* * *

As for World Blog Surf Day, I imagine many of the other blogs involved in this month's World Blog Surf Day will describe the wild and wonderful celebrations from all other countries, so forgive me for taking the tone down. I hope it has been a worthwhile deviation.

Now on with the festivities at Expanish Blog where you can learn everything you need to know about living and learning Spanish in Buenos Aires. You can also follow along at Empty Next Expat's Twitterstream to hear more as the day unfolds.

Wanted poster courtesy of bionicteaching

Comments

[Sezin]

This is great post, and I really appreciate that you've included the Indigenous point of view here. I'm not sure if it's possible to reclaim a day that marks a genocidal history. We need to get rid of those days and make new holidays that celebrate the surviving Indigenous Peoples of the world. Thank you so much for this.

[Karen]

I think it's terrific that you've given a very unique twist to this celebration of holidays and made us all think. It shows a beautiful perspective from an expat who is aware of her history! Thanks for participating and making our experience richer.

[BBE]

This definitely seems like an event to make you think. Thanks for making us aware of it.

BBE

[Emmanuelle]

Your post was very interesting, and written from the heart. To me, that's what blogging is all about!

It sounds like you're going through all sorts of transitions at the moment - take good care of yourself, and I hope things will fall back into place very soon.

Have a great WBSD,
Emmanuelle

[Judy]

I'm so glad you wrote this post. Not just because it's a good contrast to all the others, but because it highlights one of the great benefits of being an expat. That is the opportunity to stand in the shoes of others and see how they view the world.

[Sher]

I feel for you! Coming back to your new country, after being back home and with family and friends, is not easy! Then trying to balance in a new job, etc...Wow...don't be so hard on yourself. It's a time of adjustment and stress...and I hope things will ease up for you soon. Be sure to take good care of yourself and find some ways to relax when you can.

Your post is not a downer at all...but it is very informative and thought-provoking!

Have a great day,
Sher :0)

[Leigh Shulman]

I first thought of this when I posted "Happy Dia de la Raza" on my FB page only to be told by an Argentine friend that it's not a happy day.

You're right. Nothing reclaims a day of genocide. Not really.

Thank you for your comment, Sezin. I'm glad WBSD has given us the opportunity to meet.

[Leigh Shulman]

Thank you, Karen, for being so involved in WBSD and keeping us all connected through Twitter. Definitely made it easier to follow through links that were broken.

I look forward to reading more on your blog and on Twitter.

[Leigh Shulman]

Thank you for visiting!

It still amazes me that while we learned about Columbus Day in the US, I never learned in a single class, book, advertisement, protest or anything else that this other "holiday" existed.

[Leigh Shulman]

Hi Emmanuelle,

Thanks for your words of support and advice. I think things always go back into place eventually. It's all part of the process.

Happy WBSD to you as well!

[Leigh Shulman]

Very well said, Judy. You're right when you say being an expat is about seeing the world from a different perspective.

I've just recently made the transition from "traveler" to "expat" so I'm still figuring a lot of it out.

[Leigh Shulman]

Hi Sher,

Let me say, once again, thank you so much for arranging WBSD for all of us. It's been so wonderful being in touch with expats all over the world.

Among other things, it brings a sense of community across the world and that is not an easy feat to accomplish.

Also, thank you for your kind words of support. I didn't realize how much I needed them until I heard them. It's an adjustment.

[hospitalera]

Thanks for giving a more serious note to WBSD, that is for me one of the great aspects of this blogging event, to learn about each others cultures! I agree wholeheartedly with everything you wrote and also I wonder sometimes what would have happened if Colombus had really found the way to India... ?

PS My own blog post for WBSD suffered an emergency url change (don't get me started on the 'why?') please! Unfortunately I have lost also all comments I had *sniff-sniff* and can't retrieve, transfer them to the new location, SY

[*lynne*]

This was an excellent post, and I do hope readers who haven't thought about Colombus' (and the other 'explorers') negative impact on the people of the Americas will take a step back and ponder upon your words. I was fortunate, my mind was already expanded a lifetime ago, when I used to date a Native American: July 4th was NOT a day to celebrate, in his eyes... "Whose independence? And from whom??" .. I'd not thought about it, but once that perspective has been sighted, you realise there is so much truth to the saying History is written by the victors.

Sorry it took so long to drop by your WBSD entry - there are so many, I have to take it slow :)

Cheers,
*lynne*

[Leigh Shulman]

So sorry to hear about your lost comments. I know that must hurt.

It would make a very interesting short story as a revised history. What if Colombus had gone to India instead. Would the added distance have made Indian-domination impossible?

I often think of the class differential you see in South and Central America as very similar to the caste system in India. It's very difficult to move to a different group.

It also makes me wonder where I fit in as someone who doesn't ultimately belong in any of the groups.

[Leigh Shulman]

I hear you, Lynne. I also haven't made it thought all the entries. I appreciate you patience and taking the time to go through them all.

When in college, I drove cross country with a friend visiting various native american sites and people as part of a scholarship project.

It was an amazing experience. I spent about three weeks during which my friend and I were the only non-Indians in the room. Most definitely eye opening. And the history you learn from the Native American perspective is so different than what you learn in the average American classroom.

[Ani Soruco]

Hey Leigh,

I am Ani (from CS), just found your blog and this post. As a Quechwa gran-daughter, i had never feel good about this "Day of Race".

I remember it was sad how history books and school used to teach us (in the time when I was a child in body aswell as in soul) about the three ships, and about Colon, and so little about our indigenous culture. Right now, I apreciate when people see this with a critical spritit, as you did, and I apreciate when techers use this "fake party day" to teach about the genocide.

I like to think how this place could be... idealistic? I guess. Just keep working on the present. Big kiss,

Ani

[Ani Soruco]

Maybe you find this interesting:

http://www.ddooss.org/articulos/textos/cuatemoc.htm

Kisses

[J-C]

Are we talking about the same natives americans peoples that killed each other, and other tribes as human sacrifices?

[Leigh Shulman]

That is a huge generalization. Are you talking about a particular group of Native Americans? Or a specific event? Because in truth, most of what I know of Native American history shows someone else to be the aggressor.

Even so, does human sacrifice -- which was generally not considered an aggression by those groups who practiced it -- give the green light for wide spread destruction of an entire group and culture?