2019-11-19 Tue

Puerto Rico celebrates the Discovery of Puerto Rico Day every 19 November to remember the day in 1493 when Christopher Columbus caught sight of and landed on.

The celebration of Puerto Rico Discovery Day is connected with the fact of the discovery of the land by Christopher Columbus in 1493. He set sail on his second voyage on September 25, 1493, and already on November 19, he landed on the island.

He named it San Juan Bautista, but the name was changed during the 1520s after the name of the most developed and famous settlement of the island. The name of the settlement was changed to San Juan to avoid misunderstanding and confusion.

Puerto Rico Discovery Day is a public holiday. The schools, banks and public offices are closed on this day. A grand festive parade is held, people also enjoy fairs and other cultural events. The celebration of Discovery Day also marks the beginning of the Christmas seasons. The festive decorations of the Christmas trees are lit up, people start preparing for Christmas.

On the 400th Anniversary of the landing of Columbus in Puerto Rico i.e. in the year 1893, the post of Puerto Rico issued a stamp worth 3 Puerto Rican centavos. The stamp depicts a boat carrying the crew of Columbus with a Ship on the background. The stamp is inscribed with the name of the country on the top and the denomination value on the bottom whereas the date 19 November at the left and the years 1493 and 1893 on the right.

Image Courtesy: https://colnect.com/

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