OPINION

The Amherst Student • November 16, 2022

Experiencing el Día de la Hispanidad

Continued from page 8

seriously the Spaniards took the holiday. There were bells ringing in the streets. A fleet of jet planes flew by, leaving clouds of celebratory smoke in their wake. I saw people wearing the Spanish flag (some had even painted it onto their faces). Nobody seemed even remotely disturbed by the underlying connotations of this holiday.

However, as I’ve gotten to know more Spaniards (specifically Madrileños) over the past couple of weeks, I’ve begun to learn that the national opinion regarding this holiday is more nuanced than I initially thought. While there are definitely many people who proudly celebrate and praise el Día de la Hispanidad, there are others (mainly in the younger generations) who find it distasteful and insensitive. One of my friends told me that she doesn’t agree with the idea behind the holiday because she doesn’t see anything worth celebrating. According to her, although a lot of Spaniards still perceive the “descubrimiento [discovery]” of the Americas to be one of Spain’s proudest moments, there is an increasing number of people who find the “encubrimiento [concealment]” of the Americas (a name they coined) to be despicable.

Another group of Spanish students shared that they — along with many others — are staunchly against wearing the Spanish flag, partially out of principle and partially out of fear of being labeled a fascist, as the flag has evolved into a symbol of xenophobia and hatred over the years (similar to what happened to the American flag after Trump’s election).

I even emailed a Spanish professor at one of the local universities for some additional clarity. She explained that, in addition to its ties to Columbus and Spanish heritage, el Día de la Hispanidad has also historically been viewed as a religious holiday in Spain. For years, it has been a time when citizens pay homage to their Lady of the Pillar (aka la Virgen de Pilar, aka the Virgin Mary). Nevertheless, as one of my program directors pointed out, it’s unclear whether these underlying religious connotations existed before or after Columbus arrived in the Americas. It’s distinctly possible that the Spaniards decided to associate la Virgen de Pilar with el Día con la Hispanidad later on because they wanted to merge two important and seemingly “positive” historical Spanish events together.

What I didn’t realize during my first impression of the holiday is that many people don’t actually associate Oct. 12 with Christopher Columbus (or even religion) anymore; el Día de la Hispanidad has transitioned over the years into being primarily a day of patriotism and a celebration of Spanish culture, similar to what the Fourth of July is for many Americans. Since the Spanish Civil War, people have begun to view the holiday as a day on which to honor those who fought against the dictator Francisco Franco. For people with military ties (and for people without), el Día de la Hispanidad is still meaningful because it represents a love of Spanishness, not necessarily a love of Columbus.

This entire investigation has been an incredibly eye-opening experience for me. Before coming to Spain, I had never really considered how people’s ethical beliefs are shaped by their nationalities. Then, once I learned about the existence of el Día de la Hispanidad, I immediately made assumptions based on my own personal beliefs and experiences. Now, a few weeks and several fascinating conversations later, I’m realizing that everything is so much more ambiguous (and that making assumptions is a dangerous game).

Ultimately, what I really want to emphasize with this article is the subjectiveness of Spain’s National Day and of what is deemed to be “right” or “wrong” within a culture. Although we might firmly believe that we should not commemorate Columbus or his day in Oakland, here in Madrid, the holiday is more complicated. Celebrating el Día de la Hispanidad, including its history, is a part of the culture, and many people will not blink twice if you choose to wear the Spanish flag. There are so many societal paradigms ingrained in our minds based on our places of origin that we cannot possibly comprehend the notion that anybody else might live differently. But they do. And we do. Thus, even though I will never celebrate Columbus Day nor look back fondly on Columbus’ legacy, I cannot speak for the rest of the world. At the end of the day, a lot of what we choose to celebrate is purely cultural, as are many of our beliefs, and that is not for me to decide, regardless of my personal preferences.

w Amusements

What We’re Thankful For | Nov. 16, 2022

ACROSS

1 Leaving for 6 Tase 9 Little ___ ("Punch Out!!" protagonist) 12 Holds tightly 14 Last year's frosh 15 Frame of animation 16 Piece of cake 18 Inlet 19 Country whose official languages include Bodo and Bengali 20 Wound 22 Color of dye made with Lapis Lazuli and Cactus Green in Minecraft 25 Gardener's annoyance 27 Cuban drums 30 Mex. miss 31 Early riser? 32 Former White House Press Secretary Jen 35 Cold War spy org. 38 Where you can get the starts of 16-Across, 25-Across, 51-Across, and 62-Across for Grateful Harvest Dinner 42 Elementary subject: Abbr. 43 Level of degrees? 44 It's estimated the world's supply of it will be gone in 30 years 46 Wild hog 49 "All finished!" 51 Process for a plant to go from a seed to a bud 56 Tag line 57 Hand warmer? 58 Climactic match of a tournament 61 Dream state 62 Musical with a giant snake puppet in its set 67 Night of anticipation 68 Roadside stops 69 Artform on the show "Inkmaster" 70 "Jeopardy!" host Jennings 71 Punny jokester, perhaps 72 Takes a nap

DOWN

1 Canadian Thanksgiving mo. 2 Bug that emerges in winter 3 Miles away 4 It may be accompanied by finger-wagging 5 Word often found on neon signs 6 Petting ___ 7 Lacking direction, electrically 8 It results in a color of the rainbow 9 What's back, at the Golden Arches 10 Kindergarten quintet 11 Bell tower sound 13 Australian airport code 14 Actor in "Icy Hot" commercials, colloquially 17 Familial nickname 21 Zulu king of the early 19th Century 22 Lets in on an email 23 "___ got mail!" 24 Chronicle 26 Manipulating 28 Bored ___ (brand of 54-Down) 29 Tax ID 33 Brand behind games like "Adventure" and "Asteroids" 34 Family 36 Mood brought by overcast skies, perhaps 37 Russian pancake 39 ___ of love 40 Quarterback Manning 41 Clothes line? 45 Tennis do-over 47 Win in an auction 48 Mother of Annabeth, in the "Percy Jackson" series 50 Add water, perhaps 51 "All Star" movie with a lot of layers 52 The tail of a pet? 53 Classic microwaveable meal 54 Online collectibles: Abbr. 55 Violinist Shaham 59 Rod alternative, in fishing 60 Slightly open 63 Finish 64 "___ over Anakin. I have the high ground!" 65 Barracks bed 66 Goddess of the dawn

John Joire ’26

Managing Puzzles Editor

Solutions: Nov. 9