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| Subject: About the Holidays: | |
Author: Histories of Selected Days | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 02:48:32 09/15/13 Sun About the Holidays: Histories of Selected Days •April Fools' Day •Boxing Day •Father's Day •Flag Day •Groundhog Day •Labor Day •Hallowe'en •Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) •Memorial Day •Mother's Day •New Year's Day •Presidents' Day •St. Valentine's Day •Thanksgiving Day •Twelfth Night •Veterans Day •Washington's Birthday April Fools' Day (April 1) (Also called All Fools' Day.) April Fools' Day seems to have begun in France in 1564. Apr 1 used to be New Year's Day but the New Year was changed to Jan 1 that year. People who insisted on celebrating the "old" New Year became known as April fools and it became common to play jokes and tricks on them. The general concept of a feast of fools is, however, an ancient one. The Romans had such a day and medieval monasteries also had days when the abbot or bishop was replaced for a day by a common monk, who would order his superiors to do the most menial or ridiculous tasks. [ Back to top] Boxing Day (Dec 26) Ordinarily observed on the first day after Christmas. A legal holiday in Canada, the United Kingdom and many other countries. Formerly (according to Robert Chambers) a day when Christmas gift boxes were "regularly expected by a postman, the lamplighter, the dustman and generally by all those functionaries who render services to the public at large, without receiving payment therefore from any individual." [ Back to top] Father's Day Recognition of the third Sunday in June as Father's Day occurred first at the request of Mrs John B. Dodd of Spokane, WA, on June 19, 1910. It was proclaimed for that date by the mayor of Spokane and recognized by the governor of Washington. The idea was publicly supported by President Calvin Coolidge in 1924, but not presidentially proclaimed until 1966. It was assured of annual recognition by Public Law 92-278 of April 1972. Also celebrated on this day in Britain. [ Back to top] Flag Day (June 14) On June 14, 1777, John Adams introduced the following resolution before the Continental Congress, meeting at Philadelphia, PA: "Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation." Presidential Proclamation issued each year for June 14. Proclamation 1335, of May 30, 1916, covers all succeeding years. Has been issued annually since 1941. (Public Law 81-203 of Aug 3, 1949.) [ Back to top] Groundhog Day (Feb 2) Old belief that if the sun shines on Candlemas Day, or if the groundhog sees his shadow when he emerges on this day, six weeks of winter will ensue. Probably inspired by the ancient Hedgehog Day (also Feb 2): Romans observed whether a hedgehog emerging from hibernation could see its shadow in the moonlight--if it could, then six more weeks of winter were expected. Later observed as a folk holiday in Europe and the British Isles. [ Back to top] Hallowe'en (Oct 31) (Also called All Hallows Eve.) An ancient celebration combining a Druid autumn festival and Christian customs. Hallowe'en is the beginning of Hallowtide, a season that embraces the Feast of All Saints (Nov 1) and the Feast of All Souls (Nov 2). The observance, dating from the sixth or seventh century, has long been associated with thoughts of the dead, spirits, witches, ghosts and devils. In fact, the ancient Celtic Feast of Samhain, the festival that marked the beginning of winter and of the New Year, was observed Nov 1. [ Back to top] Labor Day First observance was a parade on Tuesday, Sept 5, 1882, at New York, NY, probably organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. In 1883 a union resolution declared "the first Monday in September of each year a Labor Day." By 1893 more than half of the states were observing Labor Day on one or another day and a bill to establish Labor Day as a federal holiday was introduced in Congress. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed into law an act making the first Monday in September a legal holiday for federal employees and the District of Columbia. Legal public holiday. Public Law 90-363 sets Labor Day on the first Monday in September. Observed in all states. Canada also celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday in September. In most other countries, Labor Day is observed May 1. [ Back to top] Mardi Gras Last feast before Lent. Although Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday", literally, from the French) is properly limited to Shrove Tuesday (the day before the Christian observance of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent), it has come to be popularly applied to the preceding two weeks of celebration. Celebrated especially at New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL, and certain Mississippi and Florida cities. [ Back to top] Memorial Day An occasion for honoring those who have died in battle. Also known as Decoration Day because of the tradition of decorating the graves of servicepeople. The observance dates from the Civil War years in US: first documented observance was at Waterloo, NY, May 5, 1866. Legal public holiday. (Public Law 90-363 sets Memorial Day on last Monday in May. Applicable to federal employees and District of Columbia.) [ Back to top] Mother's Day Observed first in 1907 at the request of Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, PA, who asked her church to hold a service in memory of all mothers on the anniversary of her mother's death. In 1909, two years after her mother's death, Jarvis and friends began a letter-writing campaign to create a Mother's Day observance. Congress passed legislation in 1914 designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Some say the predecessor of Mother's Day was the ancient spring festival dedicated to mother goddesses: Rhea (Greek) and Cybele (Roman). [ Back to top] New Year's Day (Jan 1) First day of the first month of the Gregorian calendar year. New Year's Day is a public holiday in the US and in many other countries. Traditionally, it is a time for personal stocktaking, for making resolutions for the coming year and sometimes for recovering from the festivities of New Year's Eve. Financial accounting begins anew for businesses and individuals whose fiscal year is the calendar year. Jan 1 has been observed as the beginning of the year in most English-speaking countries since the British Calendar Act of 1751, prior to which the New Year began Mar 25 (approximating the vernal equinox). New Year's Day has been called "Everyman's Birthday," and in some countries a year is added to everyone's age Jan 1 rather than on the anniversary of each person's birth. [ Back to top] Presidents' Day Not a legal public holiday. Presidents' Day observes the birthdays of George Washington (Feb 22) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb 12). With the adoption of the Monday Holiday Law (which moved the observance of George Washington's birthday from Feb 22 to the third Monday in February), some of the specific significance of the event was lost and added impetus was given to the popular description of that holiday as Presidents' Day. Present usage often regards Presidents' Day as a day to honor all former presidents of the US, though the federal holiday is still Washington's Birthday. Annually, the third Monday in February. (See "Washington's Birthday"). [ Back to top] St. Valentine's Day (Feb 14) St. Valentine's Day celebrates the feasts of two Christian martyrs of this name. One, a priest and physician, was beaten and beheaded on the Flaminian Way at Rome, Italy, Feb 14, AD 269, during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Another Valentine, the Bishop of Terni, is said to have been beheaded, also on the Flaminian Way at Rome, Feb 14 (possibly in a later year). Both history and legend are vague and contradictory about details of the Valentines and some say that Feb 14 was selected for the celebration of Christian martyrs as a diversion from the ancient pagan observance of Lupercalia. An old legend has it that birds choose their mates on Valentine's Day. Now it is one of the most widely observed unofficial holidays. It is an occasion for the exchange of gifts (usually books, flowers or sweets) and greeting cards with affectionate or humorous messages. [ Back to top] Thanksgiving Day The first US holiday by presidential proclamation: President George Washington proclaimed Nov 26, 1789, to be Thanksgiving Day. Both Houses of Congress, by their joint committee, had requested him to recommend "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity to peaceably establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." Proclamation issued Oct 3, 1789. Next proclaimed by President Lincoln in 1863 for the last Thursday in November. In 1939 President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November. [ Back to top] Twelfth Night (Jan 5) The evening before Epiphany in the Christian calendar. Twelfth Night marks the end of medieval Christmas festivities and the end of Twelfthtide (the 12-day season after Christmas ending with Epiphany). Also called Twelfth Day Eve. [ Back to top] Veterans Day (Nov 11) Veterans Day was observed on Nov 11 from 1919 through 1970. Public Law 90{-}363, the "Monday Holiday Law," provided that, beginning in 1971, Veterans Day would be observed on "the fourth Monday in October." This movable observance date, which separated Veterans Day from the Nov 11 anniversary of WWI Armistice, proved unpopular. State after state moved its observance back to the traditional Nov 11 date, and finally Public Law 94-97 of Sept 18, 1975, required that, effective Jan 1, 1978, the observance of Veterans Day revert to Nov 11. As Armistice Day this is a holiday in Belgium, France and other European countries. "At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" fighting ceased in World War I. [ Back to top] Washington's Birthday First president of the US ("First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen" in the words of Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee). Born at Westmoreland County, VA, Feb 22, 1732 (New Style). However, the Julian (Old Style) calendar was still in use in the colonies when he was born and the year began in March, so the date on the calendar when he was born was Feb 11, 1731. He died at Mount Vernon, VA, Dec 14, 1799. Legal public holiday (Public Law 90-363 sets Washington's birthday observance on the third Monday in February each year--applicable to federal employees and to the District of Columbia). Observed in all states. [ Back to top] [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
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