Pan American Day is a holiday observed by several countries in North and South America. It commemorates the

First International Conference of American States The First International Conference of American States was held in Washington, D.C., United States, from 20 January to 27 April 1890. Background to the Conference The idea of an Inter-American Conference held in Washington, D.C., was the brainchi ...

which concluded on April 14, 1890, creating the International Union of American Republics, the forerunner to the Organization of American States (OAS). The holiday was originally proposed by the organization in 1930, and was first observed on April 14, 1930. Parades are held, some schools put on plays, the orchestra plays music, people set up exhibits, and pageants are sometimes held.

Belize

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, ''Pan American Day refers to October 12, which is celebrated as

Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. ...

in the United States. It should not be confused with "Pan American Day," which celebrates the founding of the Organization of American States (OAS) on April 14. Originally known as Columbus Day, Pan-American Day in Belize is a celebration of the migrations of the

Mestizos (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturally European even though thei ...

and indigenous cultural groups from the Yucatan into Belize, creating the country we know today Belize chooses not to celebrate the achievements of Columbus, but rather the forging of its rich cultural diversity. The Mestizos and Yucatec Maya came to Belize looking for a calm and peaceful land, free from conflict where they could settle.

Honduras

Though the Organization of American States (OAS) includes 35 countries, Honduras is the only country who observes a public holiday to mark the events of 1890. It is celebrated on April 14.

United States

In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, Pan American Day is observed by Presidential proclamation on April 14. In addition, the entire week on which the holiday falls is observed as Pan American Week. On April 7, 2017,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

proclaimed ''Pan American Day'' and ''Pan American Week'' on April 7, 2017.

References

Americas International organization days April observances Observances in the United States by presidential proclamation October observances {{int-org-stub