Federal Holidays redo

[*bfine32*]

I started a similar thread a few years back but the rules were add one replace one. Give the current climate and today being Juneteenth I thought it would be a chance to generate a little non-partisan. discussion. Below are the current 10 Federal holidays and their dates:

New Year’s Day: January 1.
Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.: Third Monday in January.
George Washington’s Birthday: Third Monday in February.
Memorial Day: Last Monday in May.
Independence Day: July 4.
Labor Day: First Monday in September.
Columbus Day: Second Monday in October.
Veterans Day: November 11.
Thanksgiving: Fourth Thursday in November.
Christmas: December 25.

Your task is to present 10 and then we as a forum will unify to come up with 10 the forum can agree on.

[*bfine32*]

My first contribution is Ancestry Day. This will replace Thanksgiving. We are a diverse Nation and not everyone's ancestors came from England. Hell, some didn't even come here at all. On this day we can celebrate ancestors of all Americans

[fredtoast]

(06-19-2020, 06:03 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I started a similar thread a few years back but the rules were add one replace one. Give the current climate and today being Juneteenth I thought it would be a chance to generate a little non-partisan. discussion. Below are the current 10 Federal holidays and their dates:

New Year’s Day: January 1.
Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.: Third Monday in January.
George Washington’s Birthday: Third Monday in February.
Memorial Day: Last Monday in May.
Independence Day: July 4.
Labor Day: First Monday in September.
Columbus Day: Second Monday in October.
Veterans Day: November 11.
Thanksgiving: Fourth Thursday in November.
Christmas: December 25.

Your task is to present 10 and then we as a forum will unify to come up with 10 the forum can agree on.

What about Easter/Good Friday?  Isn't that a federal holiday?

[fredtoast]

The single biggest event in US history is the Civil War. We should have a holiday commemorating the preservation of the Union and the end of slavery. But half of the country would want to celebrate the Confederacy.

If we did have a Civil War holiday we could roll Memorial Day and Veterans day into one. Or we could just get rid of Columbus Day. Who really gives a shit about him anymore?

We could also use a holiday to celebrate the women's rights movement. Black men won the right to vote before women did. The women who fought for suffrage faced long odds. They were true heroes. It is hard for me to imagine that women only won the right to vote after our country was 150 years old. It could be called "Titty Day".

[Belsnickel]

(06-19-2020, 06:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: What about Easter/Good Friday?  Isn't that a federal holiday?

Negative. Per OPM, these are the official federal holidays.

[Belsnickel]

I started trying to do this, but it's hard. I first nixed New Year's Day, because y'all can get your lazy asses up and get to work after all that. It's no big deal that some arbitrary day was chosen to mark another revolution of this planet around the Sun.

I then scrapped the birthdays, because those things are about more than individuals. Not even joking, I feel like both of those men would feel like making their birthdays official federal holidays would be completely missing the point of what they were saying to us.

So I junked three off the bat and couldn't come up with any replacements.

Edit: Wait, had an idea. We could make a federal holiday that falls on election day, but call it "Civil Rights Day" or something. Make that day a celebration of our rights and liberties as Americans in an effort to get people all patriotic and jazzed to vote.

[Belsnickel]

(06-19-2020, 06:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: The single biggest event in US history is the Civil War. We should have a holiday commemorating the preservation of the Union and the end of slavery. But half of the country would want to celebrate the Confederacy.

If we did have a Civil War holiday we could roll Memorial Day and Veterans day into one. Or we could just get rid of Columbus Day. Who really gives a shit about him anymore?

We could also use a holiday to celebrate the women's rights movement. Black men won the right to vote before women did. The women who fought for suffrage faced long odds. They were true heroes. It is hard for me to imagine that women only won the right to vote after our country was 150 years old. It could be called "Titty Day".

Memorial Day and Veteran's Day are two different things, though. I think they should remain separate. But, definitely give Columbus Day the boot. **** that guy.

[*bfine32*]

(06-19-2020, 06:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: What about Easter/Good Friday?  Isn't that a federal holiday?

Actually they're 2 different occasions, but neither in a Federal Holiday. 

[*bfine32*]

(06-19-2020, 07:45 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I started trying to do this, but it's hard. I first nixed New Year's Day, because y'all can get your lazy asses up and get to work after all that. It's no big deal that some arbitrary day was chosen to mark another revolution of this planet around the Sun.

I then scrapped the birthdays, because those things are about more than individuals. Not even joking, I feel like both of those men would feel like making their birthdays official federal holidays would be completely missing the point of what they were saying to us.

So I junked three off the bat and couldn't come up with any replacements.

Edit: Wait, had an idea. We could make a federal holiday that falls on election day, but call it "Civil Rights Day" or something. Make that day a celebration of our rights and liberties as Americans in an effort to get people all patriotic and jazzed to vote.

I actually think New Year's Day is one of the only ones I wouldn't touch. Nothing partisan about it. Regardless, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, it's one we can all celebrate without division. 

[Belsnickel]

I think a national day of service would be cool. A day where people are encouraged to volunteer some time to a local non-profit or their municipality. Maybe they want to do some conservation work in a national park or something. I don't know, just seems like a neat idea but it would be a logistical nightmare so would probably never work.

[Goalpost]

I wouldn't be opposed to Mother's day and Father's day being elevated into national holidays...meaning day off work holidays. Combine Memorial and Veterans into one day. Nix Columbus day.

[*Nately120*]

NO DAYS OFF

[*bfine32*]

(06-19-2020, 08:14 PM)Goalpost Wrote: I wouldn't be opposed to Mother's day and Father's day being elevated into national holidays...meaning day off work holidays.  Combine Memorial and Veterans into one day.  Nix Columbus day.

I agree with the combination of Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Could be "Military Day" and be on 5 Jun.

Unsure if I'm digging the Mothers Day/ Fathers day suggestion. 

[Benton]

(06-19-2020, 07:45 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I started trying to do this, but it's hard. I first nixed New Year's Day, because y'all can get your lazy asses up and get to work after all that. It's no big deal that some arbitrary day was chosen to mark another revolution of this planet around the Sun.

I then scrapped the birthdays, because those things are about more than individuals. Not even joking, I feel like both of those men would feel like making their birthdays official federal holidays would be completely missing the point of what they were saying to us.

So I junked three off the bat and couldn't come up with any replacements.

Edit: Wait, had an idea. We could make a federal holiday that falls on election day, but call it "Civil Rights Day" or something. Make that day a celebration of our rights and liberties as Americans in an effort to get people all patriotic and jazzed to vote.

Pretty much all my thoughts, especially about the president's wants.

[CKwi88]

Remove Memorial Day, Columbus Day and MLK's Birthday.

Add Election Day, Emancipation Day (June 19th) and Suffrage Day (August 18th)

[*bfine32*]

(06-19-2020, 10:02 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: Remove Memorial Day, Columbus Day and MLK's Birthday.

Add Election Day, Emancipation Day (June 19th) and Suffrage Day (August 18th)

Emancipation day draws attention to one race, I think emancipation could be celebrated during Ancestry Day. I do like Election Day. 

I think Suffrage Day is covered under Election Day.

How about Inventor's Day? 

[Millhouse]

Replace Columbus Day with "Apollo 11 Day", celebrating human kind's greatest achievement by landing on the moon.

If replacing Washington, because there seems to be a trend against him, either go with "Lincoln Day" or "Emancipation Day".

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(06-19-2020, 10:02 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: Remove Memorial Day, Columbus Day and MLK's Birthday.

Add Election Day, Emancipation Day (June 19th) and Suffrage Day (August 18th)

Over 1.35m soldiers have died, 1.5m have been wounded, and over 40k went missing for this country. I vote we keep this day.

I'm on board for swapping out Columbus Day for Election Day, though.

[fredtoast]

(06-19-2020, 11:25 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Emancipation day draws attention to one race,

The Civil War was the biggest single event in this countries history and it claimed a lot more white lives than black.

The fight for emancipation involved everyone.

[fredtoast]

(06-19-2020, 11:25 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I think Suffrage Day is covered under Election Day.

We had "election  days" for 150 years before women were allowed to be involved.

The women's suffrage movement was just one part of the fight for equality for women.  That victory (and ongoing battle) deserves to be recognized.