Día de la Hispanidad (Columbus day) in Mar Menor

The cauldron rice is a typical main course in Cartagena (south-east of Spain). The city did have the main port of the Mediterranean sea at the Roman times. Near to the city we find the Mar Menor (or little sea), where the local citizens also have had sailor tradition since over 4000 years ago.  

Every October 12, people from the area go to the beach to celebrate Columbus day, as traditionally local fishers did. 

The cauldron rice was cooked by fishers using rockfish and little fishes. The intense flavor & the long tradition made this course as a gourmet main course in the south of Spain. For this reason some years ago the citizens next to the Mar Menor decided to commemorate their traditional cauldron rice from sailors. Most likely also Columbus enjoyed cauldron rice while visiting the important port of Cartagena in 1492. 

Día de la Hispanidad (Columbus day) in Madrid

Felipe VI with his family October 12, 2015

Spain is celebrating Día de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Day or Columbus Day) every October 12 with a national party. Christopher Columbus landed on the island today called Bahamas in the Caribbean October 12, 1492.The anniversary of this date is marked as Hispanic Day in Spain. This way spanish people commemorate that 1st set foot in the Americas. This is been happening since 1987.

Similar events in Spanish speaker countries also commemorate Christopher Columbus trip:
Discovery Day in the Bahamas, Day of the Cultures in Costa Rica, Day of the Race in Argentina, Chile and Mexico and the Day of Indigenous Resistance in Venezuela. Also the second Monday of October is Columbus Day in the United States. 

In Spain is also celebrated as the day of the Armed Forces. For this reason the King of Spain (Felipe VI) & his family attend in Madrid to the military show, as General Captain of the Armed Forces. October 12, 2015 as every year the King of Spain (Felipe VI) rose the Spanish Flag in Madrid. The flag raising ceremony was followed by a military parade which showcases the country's weapons and artillery. An air show also takes place with the armed forces performing acrobatic maneuvers in the air.