Discover Five Things to Know about Columbus Day

Columbus Day, a nationally recognized federal holiday, falls on Monday, Oct. 8 this year. While it is an opportunity for some to sleep in on a Monday, the holiday itself is also interesting, and a great time to celebrate and shop.

Here are five things to know about Columbus Day:

1. Columbus Day remembers Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the “New World." The voyage was victorious when land was first spotted 519 years ago on Oct. 12, 1492.

2. The day is also considered a celebration of Italian heritage, as well as a huge shopping day in the U.S.

3. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is responsible for making the holiday a federal one in 1937, but it has been celebrated unofficially ever since the colonial days.

4. In addition to being a U.S. holiday, it's also celebrated in the Bahamas, Spain, Uruguay, and many Latin American countries.

5. Many think of Columbus' fleet as including three ships: the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. But, in truth, only two ships managed to make the full round trip. The Santa Maria was wrecked on Christmas Day in 1492.