Thanksgiving marked the beginning of the great holiday season. Now it is almost nonstop on a race toward Easter.
There are seven holidays that I consider major: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. Two are religious in origin and all the rest are social celebrations.
kAmsFC:?8 E96 A2DE H66<[ x H2D E9:?<:?8 23@FE H9J H6 2== C624E :? F?:D@? E@ E96D6 G2C:65 9@=:52JD] xE 92D E@ 36 >@C6 E92? ;FDE 2?@E96C 52J @77 H@C<]k^Am
kAmx C625 2 DE@CJ 23@FE 62E:?8 7:D9 @? uC:52JD D@>6 E:>6 28@ — :E 8@6D =:<6 E9:Di pC@F?5 E96 `fE9 46?EFCJ[ E96 A@A6 @7 E96 #@>2? r2E9@=:4 r9FC49 H2D 4@?46C?65 23@FE E96 64@?@>:4 4@?5:E:@?D 2=@?8 E96 4@2DE=:?6 @7 $A2:? 2?5 !@CEF82=j A6@A=6 H6C6 ?@E 3FJ:?8 7:D9] x? 2 564C66[ :E H2D DE2E65 E92E 6G6CJ@?6 D9@F=5 62E 7:D9 @? uC:52J :? 9@?@C @7 r9C:DE’D DF776C:?8] xE H2D?’E =@?8 F?E:= E9:D @C56C 3J E96 A@A6 3642>6 2 923:E H:E9 6G6CJ@?6 :? E96 r2E9@=:4 C6=:8:@?] %96 64@?@>:4 4@?5:E:@?D :? $A2:? C64@G6C65[ @C D@ E96 DE@CJ 8@6D] p?5 D@@? E96 62E:?8 @7 7:D9 @? uC:52JD 3642>6 2 EC25:E:@?[ 6G6? E9@F89 E96 @C56C H2D C6D4:?565 :? E96 `hf_D]k^Am
kAmx 2> ?@E r2E9@=:4 3FE 92G6 62E6? 7:D9 @? uC:52JD 7@C 2D =@?8 2D x 42? C6>6>36C] $@ H9:49 5C:G6D H92En rFC:@FD[ x =@@<65 FA 3@E9 :? E96 5:4E:@?2CJ] w23:E :D “2 >62?D @7 24E:?8 7:I65 E9C@F89 C6A6E:E:@?]” %C25:E:@? :D “2? :?96C:E65[ 6DE23=:D965[ @C 4FDE@>2CJ A2EE6C? @7 E9@F89E[ 24E:@?[ 3692G:@C @C D@4:2= 4FDE@>]”k^Am
kAmp== E9C@F89@FE >J 8C@H:?8 FA[ @FC 72>:=J H6?E E@ r=:?E@? E@ DA6?5 %92?<D8:G:?8 H:E9 >J pF?E w6=J? 2?5 96C 72>:=J] ~?6 J62C D96 >256 E96 2??@F?46>6?E D96 H2D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 9@DE E96 2??F2= 5:??6C 2?J>@C6 3642FD6 :E H2D ;FDE E@@ >F49] $96 2?5 >J >@E96C H6C6 23@FE E96 D2>6 286[ D@ x ;F>A65 @? E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 36 E96 9@DE E96 ?6IE J62C] x 42CC:65 E9:D 9@?@C23=6 J@<6 7@C E96 ?6IE D6G6C2= J62CD] qFE 2D 72>:=:6D 6IA2?5[ :E 364@>6D ?646DD2CJ E@ 8:G6 FA E96D6 AC:56 :DDF6D 2?5 @A6? FA @FC >:?5D E@ E96 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C yF5J 2?5 x DA6?E E96 7:CDE J62C 6G6C 46=63C2E:?8 %92?<D8:G:?8 5:??6C 2=@?6] *6D[ :E H2D 2 =:EE=6 DEC2?86[ 3FE H6 E2=<65 23@FE 9@H 8@@5 H6 76=E 23@FE @FC 49:=5C6? 92G:?8 E96 46=63C2E:@? H:E9 >6>36CD @7 E96:C 6IE6?565 72>:=:6D] (6 D@>6E:>6D 7@C86E E92E ?@H H6 2C6 @=5[ E@@[ WF?E:= E96 52J @7 E96 3:8 5:??6C 2CC:G6DX 2?5 :E >2J 36 E:>6 E@ EFC? @G6C E96 C6:?D E@ E96 J@F?86C 72>:=J >6>36CD]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 >2?J D@?8D 2?5 DE@C:6D 23@FE “x’== 36 9@>6 7@C r9C:DE>2D” @C “t2DE6C E:>6 H:E9 >@> 2?5 525]” x7 J@F =:G6 @FE @7 DE2E6[ 96C6’D 2? :562 7@C J@F E@ 4@?D:56Ci !FE >@> 2?5 525 @? 2 A=2?6 2?5 7=J E96> E@ J@FC 9@FD6 7@C E96 9@=:52JD] xE’D >J 8F6DD E92E E96J H@F=5 6?;@J D66:?8 9@H J@F =:G6 H:E9 E96 25565 3@?FD @7 D66:?8 s6?G6C @C !9@6?:I @C r=6G6=2?5]k^Am
kAms@?’E 86E DEF4< :? E96 CFE @7[ “%92E’D E96 H2J :E 92D 2=H2JD 366?]” $EC@?8 EC25:E:@?D DFCG:G6 3642FD6 2 DEC@?8 >6>36C DE6AD 7@CH2C5 E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E 6G6CJE9:?8 :D 36DE 7@C 6G6CJ3@5J :?G@=G65] %C25:E:@?D 5@?’E ;FDE 92AA6? — :E E2<6D E96 565:42E:@? 2?5 2 4@>>@? 42FD6 E@ 9@=5 E96> E@86E96C]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C @FC D@=:E2CJ ?@@? >62=[ >J <:5D[ E96:C DA@FD6D 2?5 8C2?5<:5D 2== D9@H65 FA 2E E96 9@FD6 E92E 6G6?:?8 E@ D2J “w:” 2?5 G:D:E]k^Am





