Monday Mullings: When am I going to fill this thing out.... Of the many holidays that have been named in the United States, the federal government recognizes 10. So even though you may take off work for Boxing day because you’re Canadian or Earth day because you’re a weirdo, there are only 10 bonafide dates where everyone in D.C. will be taking the day off work along with you. I don’t need to detail the list, but it consists of a couple of noteworthy birthdays, two dates set aside to honor our veterans, the date our country was founded, and the end of the year trifecta of Thanksgiving, Xmas, and New Years. I got to thinking this morning about whether or not other holidays will ever be added to this list, or if any existing holidays will be removed. The more I thought about it, the more it became apparent, that there should be a new holiday added, that no one can really complain about. It’s called Bracket Day. Yes, I’m proposing that we devote a day of rest to the first day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but I’m not just doing so because I love to watch it. Similar holidays exist in other countries, and it really wouldn’t be that crazy in my opinion. Here’s why.
Many countries around the world celebrate Carnival, the international phenomenon localized here in the US and referred to as Mardi Gras. Its roots are in the Roman Catholic Calendar, and coincide with the arrival of Lent, a 40 day period of fasting, sacrifice, and intense prayer. Because Lent is intended to prepare a Christian for the most important day of the year, Easter, the 40 days and 40 nights a Christian spends fasting can be pretty intense. Thus, for no other reason than to binge and purge, the Carnival festival originated in France as nothing more than a way to get all the partying, boozing, and debauchery out of one’s system before Lent. Today, Carnival is celebrated in almost every continent on Earth and is assigned a number of days of rest, parades, and the whole nizzy. It falls right in the middle of the week, and the partying doesn’t end until Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. Though it is strongly connected to a religious calendar, Carnival is a weeklong party. Don’t get it twisted. In most countries, it’s a state sponsored, citizen morale boosting party, that if nothing else, allows every man and woman the chance to kick back and relax for MULTIPLE days.
The U.S. doesn’t have a holiday like this. Our separation of church and state makes it impossible for us to celebrate a holiday such as Carnival. (even though we have Xmas)All of our current holidays are tied into our nation’s history, or honoring a sector of our nation’s people. None are arbitrary, none are designated for a hobbies, pastimes, or particular forms of entertainment. Additionally, none are in the middle of the week. Sure we get Mondays off for King day, Columbus, and Labor, but I feel like every single Wednesday and Thursday of this year, I will be expected to be at work.
Wackness. And I think Bracket Day takes care of all that. Give every man in this country a Thursday off to sit on his couch and watch basketball all day. The social magnitude of March Madness is as big as the Super Bowl and the excitement lasts for a whole month. So instead of every sports fan clicking away from highlights to a spread sheet when their boss walks by in the office, give them a day off to chill and watch it in piece. If you don’t like basketball, take the opportunity to see what the world looks like on a Thursday when you’re not sitting at your desk thinking about Friday. I’m proud to live in a country that doesn’t take many days off; it means that we’re on the grind constantly. But if the rest of the world gets a week of Carnival, we can get one Thursday. And if they’re looking for a good reason, Bracket Day is as good as any.
Many countries around the world celebrate Carnival, the international phenomenon localized here in the US and referred to as Mardi Gras. Its roots are in the Roman Catholic Calendar, and coincide with the arrival of Lent, a 40 day period of fasting, sacrifice, and intense prayer. Because Lent is intended to prepare a Christian for the most important day of the year, Easter, the 40 days and 40 nights a Christian spends fasting can be pretty intense. Thus, for no other reason than to binge and purge, the Carnival festival originated in France as nothing more than a way to get all the partying, boozing, and debauchery out of one’s system before Lent. Today, Carnival is celebrated in almost every continent on Earth and is assigned a number of days of rest, parades, and the whole nizzy. It falls right in the middle of the week, and the partying doesn’t end until Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. Though it is strongly connected to a religious calendar, Carnival is a weeklong party. Don’t get it twisted. In most countries, it’s a state sponsored, citizen morale boosting party, that if nothing else, allows every man and woman the chance to kick back and relax for MULTIPLE days.
The U.S. doesn’t have a holiday like this. Our separation of church and state makes it impossible for us to celebrate a holiday such as Carnival. (even though we have Xmas)All of our current holidays are tied into our nation’s history, or honoring a sector of our nation’s people. None are arbitrary, none are designated for a hobbies, pastimes, or particular forms of entertainment. Additionally, none are in the middle of the week. Sure we get Mondays off for King day, Columbus, and Labor, but I feel like every single Wednesday and Thursday of this year, I will be expected to be at work.
Wackness. And I think Bracket Day takes care of all that. Give every man in this country a Thursday off to sit on his couch and watch basketball all day. The social magnitude of March Madness is as big as the Super Bowl and the excitement lasts for a whole month. So instead of every sports fan clicking away from highlights to a spread sheet when their boss walks by in the office, give them a day off to chill and watch it in piece. If you don’t like basketball, take the opportunity to see what the world looks like on a Thursday when you’re not sitting at your desk thinking about Friday. I’m proud to live in a country that doesn’t take many days off; it means that we’re on the grind constantly. But if the rest of the world gets a week of Carnival, we can get one Thursday. And if they’re looking for a good reason, Bracket Day is as good as any.
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