The Idiom

Can You Grok It? Free Grokistan!

Friday, March 17, 2006

Not wearing green

Despite loving bagpipes, Kid Various is NOT celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day celebrates difference, and promotes tribalism and sectarianism (not to mention rank Mick hooliganism...)

The Kid only celebrates holidays open to ALL Americans, those being:

MLK's Birthday
Lincoln's Birthday
Washington's Birthday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Halloween
Election Day
Veteran's Day

Leave your petty tribalisms behind!

4 Comments:

At Friday, March 17, 2006 at 12:33:00 PM EST, Blogger MrSurly said...

Not so fast. Everybody is not necessarily welcome to celebrate MLK Day. From the Wikipedia entry on MLK Day:

In Utah, Martin Luther King Day is also known as Human Rights Day; similarly, in Arizona, Martin Luther King Day is also known as Civil Rights Day.

Although the day is a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually not observed by small private companies except for banks. Many large corporations close their operations (more so than on Veterans Day or Columbus Day, which are also federal holidays, but less so than on holidays such as Memorial Day or Labor Day when virtually all corporations are closed), but small shops, restaurants, and grocery stores tend to remain open. The reasons for this have varied, ranging from the recent addition of the holiday (each year more businesses are closed than the year before) to its occurrence just two weeks after the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, when many businesses are closed for part of or sometimes all of the week. Additionally, some schools and places of higher education are closed for classes; others remain open but may hold seminars or celebrations of Dr. King's message. Many corporate business have "made up" for the addition of the King holiday by no longer closing on Presidents Day a month later.

And of course, if I wanted to be a real firestarter, I would point out that there is a perception of many people that MLK day is a "black" holiday -- as evidenced by the above and the somewhat tepid response of the states to recognize the holiday -- especially predominently white states -- I'm looking at you New Hampshire -- 14 years to recognize MLK day.

And don't get me started on that Druid holiday -- Halloween. That's an exclusive religious holiday if there ever was one.

 
At Friday, March 17, 2006 at 12:41:00 PM EST, Blogger MrSurly said...

Oh, and kiss my ass, I'm Irish.

 
At Saturday, March 18, 2006 at 4:29:00 PM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would also note that Abraham Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birtday are not even known by younger people (unless they read a bit of history), as their birthdays (and respective holidays) have been merged into "President's Day". This, of course, leaves MLK as the only person whose birthday is celebrated nationally as a holiday, not counting Jesus and his actual birthday is up for grabs.

Oh, and I, like many folks of Irish heritage, don't much give a shit who does and who doesn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We're very progressive that way.

 
At Saturday, March 18, 2006 at 4:33:00 PM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

And another thing -- Veterans Day. It has always frosted my stindeens as a veteran to have to work on Veterans Day while federal employees, most of whom have never spent five minutes in the military, get the day off.

I'm not very progressive that way.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home