Holidays

[mamboqueen]

My boss recently asked me to find out the holidays in China, Korea, Singapore and Bangkok because he does a lot of business there. It was interesting to see the days off. And I know that even in the US, state to state, it's different (i.e., in Massachusetts, we have Patriot's Day in March -- not for the football team, although it should be). What holidays do you have where you live? Do you have to work on any of them, or are they all days off?

[pygmalion]

One I discovered since moving to Texas is Fair Day. It's a school holiday; I'm fairly sure most workers don't get the day off. But all the schools give their kids a day off to go to the State Fair of Texas. Too funny! I was driving to work one morning and found that the traffic was very light and the school zones weren't operating as normal. Surprise, surprise! All the little kiddies were off at the Fair. Texas is weird. :lol:

[diputs]

Texas is weird. :lol:

How long did it take you to figure this out?

[pygmalion]

How long did it take you to figure this out?

Uhh... about two days. :lol: Texas is another world from anything I've known. :lol:

[lynn]

we've got canada day - national holiday and B.C. Day - provincial holiday!

[lynn]

oh, turns out that Remembrance day isn't a national holiday!

[diputs]

Uhh... about two days. :lol: Texas is another world from anything I've known. :lol:

I actually found that I liked San Antonio, and Austin. Houston was ok, there was always the eWalk.

But then there was Lubbock. Spent most of my time at the Denny's.

I never had a car when I traveled, so if I could not get there by foot or public transportation, I could not get there. Texas is definately a place that requires a car.

As for Holidays. I really only pay attention to the national holidays. It just means I get paid double for the day.

I just found out that the public schools have off for the Jewish new year. They did not do that where I grew up.

[cornutt]

When I first started school, back in the mid-'60s, the public schools in Alabama were still giving school children a week off in mid-October so that they could help their familes pick the cotton, or bring in whatever other crops they were growing (although cotton is about the last thing to come in). I don't remember for sure when they stopped doing it; I think my second-grade year might have been the last year here.

Interestingly, the last few years, the public school system here has gone to the recent trend of shortening summer vacation and putting breaks back in during the school year. And they now have a new fall break, right about that same time that the cotton-picking holiday used to be. I'm pretty sure not too many of today's schook kids are out picking cotton, though. ;)

[mamboqueen]

They're probably busy picking up debris from hurricanes :(

I'm really not for the "short summer with lots of breaks year round". Two reasons being (1) the summers where I live are TOO short - we need every day of it as possible; and (2) more and more people have two parents working and it is such a nightmare to find childcare that is cost effective. I'd actually like to see them jack up the school days from 180 to 220. And heck, let's add an hour to the day while we're at it. (I'm feeling little needle pricks in my body right now; I'm sure my kids are jabbing the little mommy voodoo doll!)

[DWise1]

Uhh... about two days. :lol: Texas is another world from anything I've known. :lol:

Yep, that's about the size of it.

I was only there for the two months of my basic training. When I got my weekend pass to go into town, I just opted to stay on the base.

While he was a child, my father's family moved around a lot and he spent some of his childhood in Texas. From memoirs, he told of being held up for ridicule on his first day of school for not knowing Texas history. He also told me once that he was taught to always capitalize the "t" when he wrote because it stood for "Texas".

His first trip to the store was also a disaster. Because he didn't understand the local lingo, he felt downright picked on by the time he got to the store. Then after he made his purchase, the clerk asked if he wanted a poke. Well, at that point the very last thing he could possibly want was to get poked, so he declined. When he kept dropping his items, the clerk finally gave him a poke whether he wanted it or not -- it was a bag to carry his purchase home in.

He continued to use a lot of Texas-isms for the rest of his life. His favorite perpetually confused our first son: "Then I'll have to explain to you how the cow ate the cabbage."


The only holiday discovery for me was when I was trying to start work in West Germany (in '74) but everything was closed. It was a holiday commemorating a demonstration in East Germany.

[Medira]

oh, turns out that Remembrance day isn't a national holiday!
Nope. For the most part it's a bank holiday (yay! I'm off!) and most government operations get it off too.

In Ontario, we have a Civic Holiday in August. The first Monday in August.

Victoria Day is the third Monday in May...that's Canada-wide. Our Thanksgiving is the second Sunday in October. ...erm....what else?

[lynn]

ah-ha, found a chart off our network:

New Year's Day
Alberta Family Day (Alberta only, of course!)
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Victoria Day
Canada Day
BC or Province Day
Labour Day
Thanksgiving
Remembrance
Christmas
Boxing Day

[lynn]

oh, cool, i also found an article (on our network!) about the "Right to Refuse to Work on a Holiday)!!

[fascination]

in south bend indiana...my hometown..we take off the monday after easter which is called dyngus day...and at some offices it is a day off...i was always told it was polish holiday of men chasing women...by my 100%polish family but I doubt it since no one I know anywhere else observes it...i think its about being hungover after easter....in chicago...the take off for casimir pulaski (polish war hero) day i think in march

[alemana]

having lived in poland, i can confirm that Smigus Dyngus is still widely observed there. you can google "dyngus day" for more info if you like.

[cornutt]

Boxing Day

I can never read that without thinking of Bob and Doug McKenzie... :D

[fascination]

having lived in poland, i can confirm that Smigus Dyngus is still widely observed there. you can google "dyngus day" for more info if you like.thank you...nice to know we really are observing something ;)

[cocodrilo]

These are all of the national holidays in Japan-

1/1 New Year's Day
2nd Monday in January- Coming of Age Day
2/11 National Founding Day
3rd Monday in March- Spring Equinox Day
4/29 Green Day (Formerly marked Emperor Showa's b-day, now used to promote nature awareness)
5/3 Constitution Day
5/4 Public holiday for the heck of it(to connect holidays on 5/3 & 5/5)
5/5 Children's Day
3rd Wednesday in July- Sea Day
3rd Monday in September- Respect for the Aged Day
9/23 Autumn Equinox Day
10/10 Sports Day
11/3 Culture Day
11/23 Labor Day
12/23 Emperor's Birthday

[mamboqueen]

15! Lucky you!

[lynn]

believe it or not, Boxing Day is actually a statutory holiday in many provinces - a holiday dedicated for shopping :shock: ???

[Laura]

I don't know of any special holidays related to California. Or at least not any where people get the day off. I think there's some state holiday sometime when the state schools and banks and state officies are closed, but I don't recall when it is or what its for.

I think the kids in the San Francisco public schools get Chinese New Year off, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

When I lived in New Hampshire we had a day off in January that was a memorial for some governor who had died in office. The state had declared a day of fasting for him when he was dying, and then every year after that they kept it as a holiday as a memorial to him. But for the life of me I can't recall who it was or when it was, and I lived in New Hampshire for 7 years!

[cocodrilo]

Just called the Red Cross and they're open on the 23rd this month, labor Day, a national holiday! Another chance to give plasma!

[Twilight_Elena]

12/23 Emperor's Birthday

Oh my, I have the same birthday as the Emperor! :shock: :D :lol:

Twilight Elena