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Show h Holiday! 8 ! ' back Tomorrow . By ELMO SCOTT WATSON SN x -X "T --' Drawing by Ray Walter . , ' JX 'A kQME one has stated that If a " - f00a vtA person were a true inter- 6 jIlJjBi I NrAa nationalist and showed it , V-ffiff. 'Jf " J by joining in the celebra- - 1 4 Si (Vuyj?V tion of t lie various holl- t 1 1 cSflff llaJS throughout the ; n il I ESUbS world, he would discover "' ' v,''':;':"3 111 I SIXjLr that he would have left .. ... '. - - Ml H 1 only some 50-odd days -- - "Y-r I ! I during the whole 305 of the year in ' ' - .....'. .'': : ''" ""'' if J which to busy himself with his usual rL2.xr vr-t i " occupation. As Americans face a "" "- " " ' ' -'ti'' new year, they may be Interested to iT.n7iln'!"' ....i ? f i J I J" " - know that 1931 holds for them nearly 0 ""f as many rest days as work days. -- 'J. , ' 't--j5a?WW -ylw;i.7'',Ssl!r Ky similar state laws, Sunday Is ev- j JsS!f!ES. erywhere In the Union a legal holiday, " 'E? " " - , as are New Year's day, Independence ei---' "aAs- day, Washington's birthday and Labor t By ELMO SCOTT WATSON Drawing by Ray Walter . XME one hns stated that If a vtA person were a true inter-nationalist inter-nationalist and sliowed It ?wv. J by joining in the celebra-TnuyKV celebra-TnuyKV tion of t lie various holl- SJtEgM days throughout the FLyudYfi world, he would discover . 5yosJw that he would have left 1 only some 50-odd days j during the whole 305 of the year in which to busy himself with his usual occupation. As Americans face a new year, they may be Interested to know that 1931 holds for them nearly as many rest days as work days. Ky similar stnte laws, Sunday Is everywhere ev-erywhere In the Union a legal holiday, s are New Year's day, Independence day, Washington's birthday and Labor day. Now let us consider the possibilities possibili-ties if a person set out to observe every ev-ery holiday which Is generally or locally local-ly observed in the United States. He could begin with January 1, which, of course, is New Year's day everywhere. A week later he should be In New Orleans Or-leans where the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans is celebrated as a holiday. On Janunry 17 he might Join in the observance of the anniversary anni-versary of Benjamin Franklin's birthday, birth-day, which is not a holiday anywhere, but which Is widely ohserved as the beginning of Thrift week. Two days later, January 19, If he were In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina or Virginia, Vir-ginia, he could join In the celebration of the birthday anniversary of Gen. Robert E. Lee, and ten days later, January 29, he could honor the memory mem-ory of President William McKinley. February Is the shortest month in the year but there's only one other month which has more days In which to celebrate. If this hypothetical holiday-celebrating citizen doesn't think Ground Hog day is important enough to Justify observance on February 2, he can make a quick trip to Arizona and there help the citizens of that Btate celebrate Arbor day. They do It on the first Monday In February and this year It's February 2. But he will have to hurry to get to Florida In time to help them celebrate their Arbor day on the first Friday In February Feb-ruary which falls on February 6 this year. On February 12 he can help celebrate cel-ebrate Georgia day in that state although al-though most people think of that date as the occasion for honoring the memory mem-ory of Abraham Lincoln on the anniversary anni-versary of his birth. In order to Join In that celebration it will be necessary nec-essary for him to go north, for there are only 14 states, all in the North, which have made Lincoln's birthday a legal holiday. They are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania. South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Curiously enough, Kentucky, Ken-tucky, the state which gave him birth, takes no official cognizance of the day. It Is generally observed in some way, even though not officially, In most of the states, Including some of those in In the South. February 14 is St. Valentine's day and February 15 is Maine ("Remember the Maine!") day, both of which he can observe if he chooses. This year February 17 will be celebrated as a legal holiday in Alabama, in parts of Florida and In five parishes in Louisiana. Louisi-ana. For it is Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday, - both of which are determined by the changing date of Easter Sunday) which is celebrated cele-brated as Mardi Grns day (in French slang. Mardl Gras or "Fat Tuesday," the day before Lent beu-ins) and in Louisiana it ushers in ttie famous festival fes-tival In New Orleans. Our holiday-observing holiday-observing traveler can spend February 22 in any state he pleases, for Washington's Wash-ington's birthday is oflicially celebrated celebrat-ed In every state In the Union, but jrhen March comes In either like a lion or a lamb, he will have to head south again to Texas, where on March 2 he can help observe Sam Houston's birthday and Texas Independence Inde-pendence day. Then there's nothing more for him to do, except to beware the Ides of March until March 17 when he can put on his green tie and go out to help celebrate St. Patrick's day. But he will need the rest which he will get In March, for April is going to be a busy month, even busier than February. To start it off right In Alabama, Ala-bama, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Porto Rico, or Tennessee he can join in the celebration cele-bration of Good Friday which comes on April 3 this year. Easter day is on April 5, but that's a Sunday and a holiday anyway. But April 12 should find him in North Carolina celebrating celebrat-ing the anniversary of the Halifax Independence In-dependence Resolutions (a reminder of pre-RevoIutionary war days) ; April 13 he can honor the memory of Thomas Jefferson about anywhere he wishes (but in Virginia would be the most appropriate place) ; April 15 he should be out in Utah, helping celebrate cele-brate Arbor day ; then he can cross the state line on the east and on April 17 aid In observing Arbor day and School day in Colorado. However, If he expects to help Maine or Massachusetts celebrate Patriot's Pa-triot's day on April 19, he might start east and spend April 17 in one of the northern counties of Illinois celebrating celebrat-ing Arbor day (the governor usually sets the third Friday In April for that observance). But if he does go to New England for Patriot's day. It's going to mean an airplane trip back west in order to be in Texas for San Jacinto day on April 21 or in Montana on the same day for Arbor day (it's celebrated celebrat-ed there on the third Tuesday in April). Whether Texas or Montana, the -next day, April 22, should find hira in Nebraska for its Arbor day celebration, and the next day, April 23, in Illinois to help honor Stephen A. Douglas. Three days later, April 2G, he should be in either Alabama, Georgia, Florida, or Mississippi to honor t lie Confederate dead on one of the two Confederate Memorial days. After the busy month of April. May is comparatively restful. On May S he has his choice of Arbor day in Idaho (the first Friday after May 1) or the same celebration in Rhode Island Is-land (the second Friday in May). On May 10 he should be in either North Carolina or South Carolina for the second Confederate Memorial day. If the former, he might just as well stay until May 20 and help celebrate the anniversary of the Mecklenburg Independence Inde-pendence Declaration, the predecessor of what took place in Philadelphia on July 4, 1770. And on May 30 anywhere any-where In the United States lie can bow his head reverently in memory of our soldier dead and help decorate their graves. For it is Memorial or Decoration day. The three summer months, June, July, and August, will not keep the holiday-celebrator very busy staying away from work. On June 3 he can take cognizance of the anniversary of Jefferson Davis' birthday, a legal holiday holi-day in five southern states (incidentally, (inciden-tally, not including Kentucky, where he was born, and Mississippi, wiiich gave him to the Confederacy for its president) and unofficially observed in others. June 14 is Flag day, observed in all states. June 17 is Bunker Hill day, commemorated in Massachusetts and June 20 is West Virginia day, when that state celebrates its admission admis-sion to the Union. Wherever he Is in the United States on July 4 he can celebrate Independence day, but on July 13 he will need to go to Tennessee Ten-nessee to celebrate the birthday of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, the great Confederate cavalry leader, then speed out to Idaho for the Pioneer day celebraton on July 15 and drop down into Utah for the Pioneer day celebration in that state on July 24. From Utah he should start east Immediately Im-mediately if he is to take part in the celebration of Bennington day in Vermont Ver-mont on August 6, but that ends the summer's festivities. This, however gives him a good opportunity to take the customary two weeks' summer vacation. The autumn months will keep him fairly busy. Beginning with the celebration cele-bration of Labor day in North Carolina- on September 4 (the Ifrst Thursday Thurs-day In September) he can go to some oilier state and celebrate it again on September 7 (the first Monday in September). Sep-tember). Then there's Admission day to be celebz-ated in California September Septem-ber 9, Defense day on Septemrebr 12 and American Indian day on the third Friday in September September 18 this year. After taking part in the celebration of Fire Prevention day on October 9, he can go to Florida and celebrate Farmers' day on October -10. But he will have to leave there if he expects to celebrate October 12, Columbus Co-lumbus day, legally for it's not a legal le-gal holiday in that slate. But there are 23 states in which it is. On October Octo-ber 23 he should be in southern Illinois Illi-nois for its second Arbor day celebration cele-bration (the fourth Friday in October for the southern part of the state) and then hie himself out to Nevada to help observe Admission day in that state on October 31. And, of course, that evening he can get in an extra celebration by taking part in the Halloween Hal-loween festivities. He must not linger long, however, for he's due in Louisiana for the celebration cele-bration of the legal holiday of November Novem-ber 1, which is All Saints day. November Novem-ber 11, wherever lie is, he should "face east" in honor of Armistice day and on the last Thursday in the month (November '-Mi in 1031) lie should join with his fellow-Americans in being grateful on Thanksgiving day. December Decem-ber 4 should find him in Georgia celebrating cele-brating Arbor day (the first Friday in December) and he might as well stay there for the celebration of Christmas Christ-mas on December 25 and then cross the state line over into South Carolina Caro-lina where December 20 and 27 are legal holidays as a part of the Christmas Christ-mas celebration. Thus the busy year of 1931 ends for the holiday-celebrator. '.(S tiy Weslsrn Newspaper Unijn.) |
