The Bones of Columbus – a Cuban Halloween Story

O.K. They don't celebrate Halloween in Havana (unless you stumble across a party of embargo-busting Americans defying the travel ban). But from the history archives of Old Havana Foods comes this spooky Caribbean tale.
Legend has it the bones of Christopher Columbus are buried in Havana. Of course, historians in the Dominican Republic say the explorer’s remains are in Santo Domingo. And the Spaniards are convinced they’ve got the D-N-A evidence to prove Columbus is in Seville. For centuries now, it's been one of history's most famous unanswered questions.
But through the decades, sun-burned Havana tourists (groggy from too many frijoles negros and Cuba libres) have been startled to see an other-worldly apparition, slipping through the shadows of La Habana Vieja. Believers swear it's the ghost of Christopher Columbus.
When he died in 1506, Columbus' will revealed his desire to be buried in the New World. After argument and disagreement, eventually the Spaniards transferred his bones to Hispaniola.
But when the French took control of the Caribbean island in 1795, the explorer's remains were rushed to Havana (the Spanish wanted to prevent his famous bones from falling into the hands of France). Cuban history records show that for more than a century, Columbus' weary bones got a well-deserved rest in Havana.
When the Spanish lost colonial Cuba in 1898, however, his well-traveled remains were on the move again. They shipped Columbus’ dusty bones over the Atlantic - back to the place where he first embarked on his famous expeditions - Spain.
But no matter what the Spanish may claim, to this day, many Habaneros still believe that at least a part of Christopher Columbus’ remains are in Havana. Feliz Halloween everybody! From your friends at Old Havana Foods!