Which Holidays Should Government Recognize?

[cbayer]

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/02/17/which-holidays-should-government-recognize


Americans petitioned the White House to recognize the lunar new year.

It’s been a dense couple of months for holidays, including Christmas, New Year’s Day, Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Mawlid (Prophet’s Birthday), the lunar new year, Lincoln’s Birthday, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day and Washington’s Birthday. And next week is Purim.

We wouldn’t get much work done if we all got every holiday off. But why does the federal government recognize some of those and not others? Christmas but not Mawlid. New Year’s Day but not the Orthodox or lunar new year. Washington’s Birthday but not Lincoln’s.

Should the U.S. have more or different official holidays?

more at link

[CincyDem]

1. How about usurping May 1

...we could call is "Mission Accomplished Malarky" day to commemorate Shrub's aircraft carrier debacle.

[cbayer]

2. May Day, May Day, May Day!

[No Vested Interest]

3. Welcome from another Cincy Dem

by another name. (Though you have actually been a member longer than me).
Looking forward to your comments.

[CincyDem]

4. Wow - another loquacious local

I thought I knew every Dem in town since you can count 'em a couple hands a foot

Good to "meet" you. I'm sure we'll have some fun Ohio issues to bash around in the near future, eh?

[No Vested Interest]

10. Low-profile Dem here

Surrounded by Repubs.
DU is my outlet.

[struggle4progress]

5. Alphabet Days!

Whenever the weekday name shares a consonant with the month name, it's a Federal holiday!

[cbayer]

6. I like it.

Let's see, that would mean lots and lots and lots of holidays.

[catnhatnh]

7. Standardize them.

Use the first friday of every month for 12 federal holidays and let individuals celebrate what they want;

January-Christmas/New Year/Solstice
February-Ground Hog/Valentines/winter break
March-St Patrick/Equinox
April-Easter
May-Arbor day
June-Memorial Day/solstice
July-4th
August-Summer fest
September-Labor day
October-Columbus/equinox
November-Halloween/National voting day
December-Thanksgiving

Obviously this makes a shitload of sense-12 relatively equidistant 3 day weekends giving time for rest from work and seasonal celebration with less confusion and No government endorsement of any religion or cause. All Americans celebrate what they want and when. For summer fans (and there are bunches) that August deal fills a yawing hole in the holiday calender.

One step further would be the 13 holiday calender with every 4th Friday being a holiday. Never again confusion about your next break and take holidays back to their original purpose-resting the serfs and adding just a bit of joy to their lives. You might ask your co-worker what they were doing or were they going anywhere but with fixed holidays with no given date interest would wane in the divisiveness of WHAT they were celebrating. The workers get regular breaks, the businesses get a certainty of schedules,and retailers get to sell needed seasonal items rather that decorative dreck.

[cbayer]

8. I like it and it makes so much more sense.

I would like to see them all be neutralized in some way, so they don't just pertain to a single religion.

Not so sure about moving Thanksgiving out of November, though.

[catnhatnh]

9. I only posted names as suggestions

first Friday in November would be fine. Or the weekend after what would have been the traditional date. Whenever YOU want.
Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are examples of what is wrong with the current scheme. Thanksgiving is moving toward a four day holiday for those who can afford it and nobody is productive the day after that kind of food fest. The 3 day solution has people traveling Friday, eating Saturday, traveling Sunday, and at work on time Monday.

The 4th is it's own disaster-who really wants any holiday on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday? And sometimes for 3 years in a row?
It really comes down to convenience for both workers and industry. A nice side effect is most workers would wind up with 2 or 3 extra holidays-other than retail employers would have to compete for employees over this.