Day of the Race is a public holiday in Uruguay, and it is observed on October 12. The holiday celebrates the discovery of the Americas when Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas on October 12, 1492. In many places, the day is celebrated as Columbus Day, and in many other places, it is called Indigenous Peoples' Day to recognize Indigenous peoples' cultures and contributions.
Christopher Columbus was born in October 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, and he was an Italian explorer and navigator. Between 1492 and 1504, he led four Spanish-based transatlantic maritime expeditions to the Americas, which opened the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
On August 3, 1492, Columbus departed from Palos de la Frontera, a municipality in the southwestern Spanish province of Huelva, into the Atlantic. On October 7, 1492, after 29 days out of sight of land, the crew saw flocks of birds. Columbus changed course to follow their flight. On October 12, 1492, they found the land and called it San Salvador, the present-day Bahamas. October 12 is widely celebrated in American countries.
The following is the list of Day of the Race in Uruguay from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Day of the Race | Oct 12, 2022 | Wednesday |
| Day of the Race | Oct 12, 2023 | Thursday |
| Day of the Race | Oct 12, 2024 | Saturday |
| Day of the Race | Oct 12, 2025 | Sunday |
| Day of the Race | Oct 12, 2026 | Monday |
Please check more public holidays in Uruguay: