"Fake" holiday

I have mixed feelings about today (Columbus Day)! First of all, I'm not a fan of what I call "fake holidays." These are days there is no mail, the banks are closed, but every other business and organization still is working! I also am not sure it's a day to be celebrated. The Spanish brought with them more Europeans. That brought sexual transmitted diseases (these did not exist in the Americas), small pox, chicken pox, and the cold (also unknown in the Americas), as well as indentured servitude, slavery, and oppression as well as outright slaughter of many native nations and tribes. Millions of people died. In addition, the Vikings were here long before, so Columbus didn't really "discover" the Americas. And, Amerigo Vespucci mapped it all, so we got his name. Also, the Siberians and Mongolians crossed over the Bering Straights as long as 10,000 years ago, so remembering Columbus' journey is really just commemorating the Europeans finally getting here. On the other hand, I suppose my grandparents wouldn't have come here if it hadn't been "discovered" by Columbus, and I like being here, so I'm glad in that respect! Well, it was a sunny, warm day, so not all bad!