This past month we saw a school sign which proclaimed, “(Holidays) were meant to bring friends and family together”. Although this may happen in several of the holidays we celebrate as Americans, to believe this is to do disservice to the historical reasons those holidays were created. To refresh our memories, we need to take a walk down history’s highway and remember why each was important enough to be designated a national holiday. We will take them in order through the year.
First, New Year’s Day. This is the first of the federal holidays, where governmental offices are closed, and people are struggling to get over the celebrations of the night before. Do people in this country gather friends and families for cookouts or lavish dinners? Not so — this is simply a recognition that we have made it through another mile marker in our life’s journey. (And a reminder — calendars are a social construct, so this particular holiday does vary depending on which culture you are in.)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Celebrated the Monday closest to King’s birthday (January 15), it was not intended for family get-togethers. Rather, this was in recognition of the leadership he exhibited in the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. To truly celebrate this holiday would be to look at the great strides African Americans have made toward full equality in our society.
President’s Day. This day is the third Monday in February, and was to combine the remembrances of the birthdays of George Washington (22nd) and Abraham Lincoln (12th). Again, this holiday, so proclaimed by Congress, is to help us appreciate the contributions of our 44 Chief Executives, rather than a time to gather those we love together to gorge ourselves on the fat of the land.
Easter. Political correctness tries to forbid us from celebrating this time, though most in the nation do. However, the reason for this celebration has morphed into a time to get out of school (and many businesses allow for workers to skip a day), and families do tend to have reunions. But we know that Christians use this as a reminder that on that day Jesus rose from the dead, and we now worship on “the first day of the week” because of that momentous event.
Memorial Day. Originally commemorated on May 30, this special day is now on the Monday closest to that date. Some use this day as the beginning of summer, and people the nation over decorate graves of loved ones who have “gone on”. But outside of some parades and public pronouncements, most have forgotten the original reason for this occasion. In 1868, the practice of placing flowers on the graves of Civil War veterans began, and for many years it was called Decoration Day. Some may have a family get-together, but it is not the norm. It is a day for remembrance.
July 4. This is Independence Day, to celebrate the Declaration that set us free from the tyranny of England. Today it has become a day of fireworks, cookouts and family reunions. There are speeches, marches, parades — as well there should be. But how many who are celebrating can give the details of why this day, of all days, contain the trappings of national pride?
Labor Day. This holiday is set on the first Monday of September. Banks, schools, government buildings are all shuttered. It has become a day when the end of summer is noted, and fall is on the way. Again, cookouts and family are featured, but most do not know the history of this day. In 1882, in the midst of many work stoppages, and even violence from workers, it was felt that a public demonstration of the worth of the common laborer would tamp down the unrest. In New York City, a parade was held, speeches were made and politicians praised the lowly worker. Of course, this did not end all the conflict, but it did usher in a new holiday for the nation.
Columbus Day. Again, the actual event occurred on a date that only occasionally falls on October 12, as the second Monday of the month is set aside. Usually, most businesses do not close, but schools, banks, the postal service and government offices shut their doors as the nation looks to give homage to the intrepid explorers in 1492. Other than a day off for many, few can give an accurate history of what transpired.
Veterans Day. “The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” — that phrase was known by many as the country marked the Armistice, the agreement that ended the Great War (World War 1) in 1918. Known as Armistice Day until the 1950s, it was a solemn look back at the end of a war known for its “soulless” battles. The usual suspects close their doors, and soldiers marked day for remembering their comrades in arms who fought in that war. Now, all veterans are lauded.
Thanksgiving. This is probably the premier holiday that brings family and friends together more than any other than perhaps Christmas. Begun in 1621 by the Pilgrims, it was a three-day feast to show appreciation to God for a bountiful harvest after what was known as the “starving time” which fell upon those early settlers. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year, with closing of, again, schools, banks, postal services and government offices. In recent years this time has seen the unofficial kickoff of the Christmas shopping season.
Christmas. December 25 is the day set aside for the celebrating of this holiday. Most people, I suppose, could tell us that it is the day Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Yet to watch the frenzy of gift-giving and gift-receiving, the season has lost much of its spiritual meaning for many. With the dearth of regular church attendance, many of our children are so inundated with Santa, Rudolph and other manifestations of the holiday that they could not give much of the story of the Christ-child. But, again, family and friends do congregate to see each other and exchange gifts and well wishes.
Although some of the annual federal holidays retain a vestige of their original intent, the sentiment expressed in that sign we saw seems to have penetrated our social fabric. Much good would come if we, as parents and leaders in our communities, were to emphasize the reasons for each of these “days off” from usual activities. But historical lessons, spiritual emphasis, and honor for long-dead significant men and women will be hard to re-introduce into our all too secular world. But try — if we would look at each of these, their beginnings and reasons for existence, then holidays would take on a much more solemn meaning and would elevate our national discourse.