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On Holidays and How to
Make Them Work
It
has almost become vogue in this day and age treat holidays in the exact
opposite way they were intended to be celebrated.
It is a general practice to act sullen and pessimistic on Valentines
Day, and any adult who looks upon Christmas with enthusiasm is deemed an
acceptable candidate for institutionalization.
The time leading up to Thanksgiving is spent endlessly complaining
about relatives and obligations, and New Years is spent moaning about how
you can never keep up with your resolutions.
It is almost as if the reason we observe holidays is to carp about
them. Of course the mundane
qualities of some holidays prevent them from being subject to public
backlash. How are you going to
rebel against the conventions of Groundhog Day? Predict the that spring will not come for another nine
weeks?
The
preexisting resignation to treat holidays as days of national mourning is so
prevalent, it’s almost rebelling to celebrate them in the manner they were
intended to be. Some of this is
brought about by jealously of other peoples ability to celebrate in the
traditional fashion. Fellow
students who receive balloon bouquets and candy on Valentines are treated
with contempt. “How dare they
receive tokens of affection on Valentines Day!
The nerve…” When
people are unable to meet (sometimes unrealistic) goals, they surrender hope
and immerse themselves in gloom. The
only way they can enjoy a holiday is to go completely against what it stands
for.
Myself,
I enjoy holidays; I find satisfaction in just about every day of importance
relevant or otherwise. New
Zealand bank holidays have been known to lighten my step.
The trick is to find some sort of silver lining.
Take Valentine’s Day for example.
I have never had a date, a girlfriend, or anything resembling either
on February 14th. Still,
the holiday is one of my favorites and for two simple reasons.
First, the aforementioned recipients of gifts will sometimes be
willing to share their bequests. Second,
the good folks at the New England Confectionery Company only appear to sell
their signature Sweetheart candies during the months proceeding
Valentine’s. I could be wrong in
this regard, but I'm not going to take the effort to check this fact. These
are possibly my favorite mass-produced candy, and I take every opportunity I
can to get a hold of them. It’s
probably not the mindset most people take on that particular day, but it
sure beats moping about complaining about how your girlfriend dumped you.
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