Holiday Weekends - We Sure Have Enough Of Them

      We've dodged another bullet...Mother's Day, 2007 has now passed.  We can kick back and not have to worry about much coming up on the weekend for awhile now.  What are you talking about?  This is America!  Come on...get real.  We look for excuses to party and have fun...and get out of doing things we should be doing instead.  No wonder some of us have a hard time getting back into the swing of things come the beginning of a brand new week.

      Do you realize, we're not even halfway through the year yet, and there has been something going on for 15 out of the 20 weekends we've gone through so far?  I'm not talking everything was a major event that most people participate in; there were 9 of them...roughly two weekends a month; a "special" day every other weekend.  There are national holidays pretty much everyone gets off when almost everything closes for the day.  We've got federal observances; major holidays when all federal work halts; not that some of the agencies do much when they are on the job...and minor days of recognition; they're on the calendar and participation is optional and smaller.  We can't forget about locals holidays, either.  Some locations like to pay hommage to their own little claims to fame. 

      We did have all that many Friday observances to kick off weekends; Groundhog Day, Good Friday and Arbor Day; the last Friday in April.  I'm sure not as many people went out to party for Inauguration Day as they did on Saint Patrick's Day; the only two Saturday "celebrations". Daylight Savings Time, now the second Sunday in March affects almost everyone by screwing up our schedules and internal clocks by making us lose an hour...people still haven't adjusted by Monday.  This year, April Fool's Day was on a Sunday, then came Palm Sunday, Easter, Earth Day and Mother's Day...5 out of 7 weekends.  Though we hate it, we have to throw that nasty Tax Day in there, too, with April 15th falling on a Sunday this year.  So many of us enjoy those three day weekends, getting an extra day off.  We took care of them early in the year with New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Washington's Birthay/President's Day taking care of three Monday holidays.  We even got a mid-week celebration throw into the mix, as well...Valentine Day, Wednesday, February 14th.

      Phew...that's enough to wear us out, right?  Don't sit down, because it's not over yet.  We've got just as many more special days on the way before we get to start all over again for next year.  Just before the end of this month alone, there's Armed Forces Day coming up this Saturday.  I'm sure you haven't forgotten about the big kick off to summer; an extended three-day weekend with Memorial Day on Monday, May 28th.  Where I'm from, we get a second Memorial Day.  Seeing how Waterloo, New York is the official birthplace of the holiday; we get an extra day to commemorate on the original date of observation; every May 30th; which is on a Wednesday this year.

      The beginning of the summer has a few things scheduled; but it's well known lots of folks have their own plans and vacations during the best weather of the year, so not much else in on the calendar for the second half of summer.  On Friday, June 1st; it's Children's Day...the same as Mother's and Father's Day; except for children...payback time.  Flag Day is Thursday, June 14th with that Sunday, June 17th, being Father's Day.  Independance Day; the Fourth of July; is on a mid-week Wednesday...two days of work on either side of a day off...with weekends around the outsides of both of those "two day work weeks".  Things wind down with Parent's Day on the fourth Sunday in July; the 22nd this year.

      Drat...there's nothing to do now for the next month and a half.  Guess we'll have to fill our time up with trips to the beach, attending carnivals and fairs and festivals, lounging around the house doing nothing sitting around the pool or in fron of the air conditioner.  We'll almost sound like a whiney child at times...I'm so bored...there's nothing to do.  You want something to do?  Let's just check and see what's coming up then.

      Summer is done and it's back to school time with Labor Day being Monday, September 3rd.  Grandparent's Day is the first Sunday and the first Monday...just to confuse them.  In case you miss it, you can just pick another date to celebrate and they can't figure out when it was supposed to be anyway.  It's officially on the 9th this September.  October is in a cluster with the big bash set for the end.  Another three day weekend for some with Columbus Day on Monday, October 15th...with Boss' Day right after that on Tuesday, October 16th.  Hope you enjoyed your day off; now get back to work...and where's my gift.  Sweetheart Day is Sunday, October 21st.  A special mid-week party comes along with Halloween Hump Day on Wednesday, October 31st. 

      Finally, 8 months after we lost it, Daylight Savings Time ends and the days grow shorter...we turn the clocks back and get that hour we lost in the spring on Sunday, November 4th.  As confusing as politics is, Election Day is easy to figure out...the first Tuesday after the first Monday, so it can never fall on the 1st...this year on November 6th.  Sunday, the 11th marks Veteran's Day with the fourth Thursday of November, the 22nd this year, it's Thanksgiving.  Then, let the parties begin!  Black Friday hits early this year with an extra week of holiday shopping to get in; giving you more time to look around for that reallt special present to get for me.  That also means there's time to schedule and/or attend a few more holiday gatherings for fun and to spread good cheer.  We pause to remember Pearl Harbor on Friday, December 7th.  The build-up for the year-end holidays is well underway.  After a weekend, Christmas Eve is on a Monday...like much work is going to get done anywhere that day with last minute preparations going on.  It's almost like a bonus day off making up a four day weekend with Christmas on a Tuesday.  The same goes for the next week...after a weekend; New Year's Eve is on a Monday with Tuesday set aside for recovery on New Year's Day.  And it starts all over again. 

      Can't forget about those local events that come along to add to our annual fun festivities.  Around here, most high schools hold Homecoming Weekend in the autumn, so there's a community wide pep rally and bonfire, parade, football game and dance.  Each high school around here holds their own celebration and they try to schedule them on different weekends, so there are no conflicts.  We've got the county fair parade and the almost week-long county fair.  Convention Days, celebrating the women's rights movement for an entire weekend, has their parade, festival and party in the park concert.  The Saint Anthony's Italian Festival has their processional, a 10 kilometer footrace, food, music, a carnival midway with rides and a huge fireworks display to close the fair for another year.  The next city east even holds a huge parade to kick off the holiday season the night after Thanksgiving.

      It does matter what it is.  Around here, at least, we can come up with reasons to keep the party going all year long.  I'm sure there are various, hometown observances where you are.  We'll celebrate almost anything.  I couldn't begin to list them all around here...Potato Festival, Tomato Festival, Sauerkraut Festival, Peppermint Days, Pageant of Steam for antique steam engines and tractors, High School Band Pageant Weekend, Grape Festival, Wine Festival, Strawberry Festival, Whale Watch for sighting of the mammals on land-locked lake, Carp Derby, Women's Equality Day, Lilac Festival, Rose Festival...just off the top of my head.  There are more...here and where you are.

      On top of all of that, we've got those "personal" days to write in: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, reunions, vacations.  Most times, they fall on "off" days when nothing else is scheduled; so we get even more "bonus" observances.  We just can't resist making up our own, either, when we just need some time away from all those organized celebrations.  "I've Got A Splinter and Can't Do Anything Day"..."I'm Tired and Better Stay Home To Take A Nap Day"..."I Feel Like Drinking A Case of Beer and Getting Drunk Day"..."First Class Postage Went Up 2 Cents Day"..."Gas Prices Hit $4 Day...or Week...or Month".  The good things about those days; we don't have to get them passed in Congress or even get permission to invent them.

      I passed on Mother's Day, so I'm all rested and good to go.  Our local high school is holding a band pageant this coming weekend; various competitions beginning Friday morning with awards handed out and retreat after a late afternoon parade Saturday...then over a whole week to wait for Memorial Day Monday and our traditonal observance two days after.  I don't know if I can hold out that long.  Had I know before I started researching; it's too late now since it's already underway; I would have taken the day off and declared it something important.  Not to be confused with my "floating holiday" which can be put into play at any time; "Screw Off Day";  this could have been declared "Rob's Excuseless Excuse To Do Nothing Day".