Oh No, Not Another Holiday

we had a big public holiday the other day, Independence Day.  This is one of those, "what should I do except, go ot a parade, watch fireworks and picnic" (if it's not too hot) day.  Independence Day was first declared n 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day (the day in 1776 that the colonists in America began to overthrow the British government who ruled the area) an unpaid holiday for federal employees. But many people have no idea that 's why we celebrate it. With time memory even about holidays fades, I guess.

They didn't shoot fireworks or picnic much in 1870, but they did have plenty of those patriotic parades that we still have today. In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday. You can bet when the workers found out they were going to be paid for not working that it seemed to them that it was a real holiday.  Today, it's more ritual and one of the less celebrated days in the U.S.  Maybe we should become independent again to make it more meaningful.

I think many countries have Independence Days holidays, given that people by nature are constantly revolting against something and demanding to be independent. Independence Days are probably outdated in this age in which only the now seems to matter. It's one of the holidays on the calendar that might better be removed. People don't like patriotic things anymore. If some want to celebrate an independence, let them do it independently....or something.

I think what might doom many of the anachronistic holidays is the proliferation of the religious and ethnic holidays here. It's ironic that so many of so many religious sects today demand a religious holiday or two be celebrated by the whole country because church attendance and religious belief is said to be at an all time low. They get it too. It's hard to understand some of the holidays we have because they are obscure to many. Politicians love to add them to the calendar because they get votes from all those who want them. Maybe the non believers or doubters just want to make noise and pretend they love religion to relieve their guilt for being heathens. But too many religious holidays makes me confused.

In India, for example, there are now over 40 separate religious holidays that are officially celebrated there. No work those days. Hmmmmm  Maybe that's why India is so bad off economically and why there are so many people in India. They get bored by not being at work, don't have the work time to make more of their products and instead have the time to make more kids on those holidays. They could control their population if they wiped out those 40 religious holidays. Even Japan, which most westerners don't see as a "religious place" has almost twenty religious days off. And in the U.S. every religion, and just about every religion known is here, wants their own holiday to be made official.  I don't know how our schools can function because there must be a high absentee rate when the little heathens are not attending classes in favor of celebrating their religious holiday.

Do we really need so many holidays? In truth the proliferation of so many cheapens each. Why worry about recognizing a holiday since there is always another one coming soon. Better to nap or watch TV that day. Fact is, almost all holidays are just an excuse for a day off. Hey! That's it! Cancel all of them and just have one holiday. We can call it
"Excuse For a Day Off" Day.