It took me by surprise when I learned that Monday is Columbus Day – the observance has completely fallen off my IHR (Internal Holiday Radar), a sixth sense that triggers the release of euphoric chemicals that flood the body when a day off is about to happen.
That’s probably because I’ve worked every Columbus Day since I was in the sixth grade. I would have missed it entirely this year had I not found myself in a conversation about what might or might not come in the mail next week. I admire their work, but the people of the U.S. Postal Service are the last ones to know when a holiday falls out of favor.
It’s pretty obvious that on the October holiday/observance landscape, Columbus Day is on the decline while Halloween continues, ominously, to rise. Though if you’re Native American, Columbus Day IS Halloween – a chilling reminder of the closeness of death.
Randy Newman summed it all up in this song, performed in Stuttgart.
Not a huge ovation, but the Germans in the audience have likely become accustomed to the complicated feelings that accompany true accounts of European history. But you have to credit Mr. Newman for boiling it all down to the essence.
Here’s a list of days off for federal workers from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management:
Friday, December 31, 2010 – New Year’s Day
Monday, January 17 – Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, February 21 – Washington’s Birthday
Monday, May 30 – Memorial Day
Monday, July 4 – Independence Day
Monday, September 5 – Labor Day
Monday, October 10 – Columbus Day
Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day
Thursday, November 24 – Thanksgiving Day
Monday, December 26 – Christmas Day
With so much pressure in Washington for the government to save money, how long before someone proposes a schedule of unpaid holidays to go hand-in-hand with the elimination of Saturday mail delivery? Anything to get those federal employees off the clock! We have lots of candidates. Here are some in October alone:
International Day of Older Persons ―Saturday, October 1, 2011
International Day of Non-Violence ― October 2
World Habitat Day ― October 3
World Teachers’ Day ― October 5
World Post Day ― October 9
World Mental Health Day ― October 10
International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction ― October 12
World Sight Day ― October 13
White Cane Safety Day ― October 15
International Day of Rural Women ― October 15
World Food Day ― October 16
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty ― October 17
Boss’s Day ― October 17
Alaska Day ― October 18
World Development Information Day ― October 24
United Nations Day ― October 24
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage ― October 27
Nevada Day ― October 28
How wonderfully ironic it would be to force people to take a day without pay to observe the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty!
What holidays would you like to add to the calendar?
Trail Baboon 
Everybody who has been up most of the night raise your hands.
Dale, if you still lived in New York, you would not be allowed to forget Columbus Day. It is a BIG DEAL out there, especially in Massachusetts, where it is a national holiday in every way. What it is is the Italian version of St. Pat’s Day.
I have argued for years to dump Saturday mail. It would save a lot of money. How much mail do you receive that matters any more? How much mail you get on Saturday cannot wait until Monday?
I want to add National Insomniacs Day. Wait, that would be National Insomniacs Night.
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I’m raising my hand!
Just a fairly average night of insomnia for me…I try to not look at my clock too much when I can’t sleep but I caught a glimpse of it at 3:15 and I think I fell asleep shortly after that.
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trying to dreamup your next caper edith? we are on to you now. ediths going to jail. ediths going to jail
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I tried, but I couldn’t come up with any ideas. tim, can you inspire me to new heights of criminal activity?
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i think once you start in a life of crime you need to stick with your signature so the pilot that flew the drugs out of puerto rico should be rretained and the use of the crystal airport is a good idea with a transport to the library for distribution but what pidgeon will you nail this time.since you have a distribution network setup with the meds for the swine flu maybe you should see if your contact at the pharmacutical house can orchestrate a tainted batch of flu vaccine so that it will be in super short supply there by quadrupling the valus of the predated vaccine you have stockpiled in refrigeration warehouses acrossthe midwest. you will likely target the elderly and pregnant who will be at the greatest risk. that or get into counterfiting dinosaur bones with the new carbon dating techniques developed by the same chemist who cranks out the swine flu vaccine. its really hard to do dinosaur bones on the bus though. you decide.
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OT – Is it just my computer or what? The box where Randy Newman’s video is supposed to be is just a big black box. Which song is it Dale?
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I have it there and fully functional.
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It might load if you refresh your screen a couple of times…or go to YouTube and search for Great Nations of Europe.
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It eventually loaded. Thanks Clyde and Linda.
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continue on and watch the rest of the concert. it allows you to watch the next then the next song. in germany after the war is the next one and aninteresting presentation in strutgart
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I love Randy Newman.
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I like strutgard! Great name for a place.
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dealing in aproximations can be an interesting approach don’t you think
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Morning all.
International Get the Kitchen Floor Clean Day
World I Don’t Want to Get Out of My Pajamas Day
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National Procrastination Day. Don’t know when we’d get around to it.
Whirled Peas Day. Just because!
Be Kind to Each Other Day. Well, it couldn’t hurt.
Goat Appreciation Day. Needs no explanation to this group.
National Tell the Truth Day. This could be really interesting.
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The day after National Tell the Truth Day is National File For Divorce and/or Unemployment Day.
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Snort!
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the truth can set you free
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Freer than you actually wanted to be, in some cases.
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one of those watch out what you wish for scenarios
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In my world October 8th is International Day for the Consumption of Chocolate.
World Peanut Butter Day is the second Saturday of October.
Every six years or so they fall on the same day. Sweet.
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i used to sit down with a little tub of chocolate chocolate chip form ben and jerrys and a plastic tub of real peanut butter and a spoon and achieve nirvana on a semi regular basis. i think it may have been on saturdays in october
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trader joes has the chocolate in stock. it is not always there. it is there now. costco truffles are worth notong too.
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if your whipping up another batch of those mini raspberry tarts i want an invite.
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mini raspberry tarts? yum.
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Think I’ll join you on this one. How about some Nutella too?
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As therapists, my husband and i think we should always get July 24th off, since that is the feast day of St. Christina the Astonishing. She was a real problem for the church, noted for her unbridled fits of levitation and disruption of church services. She is the patron saint of therapists and people suffering from mental illness.
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tell him i have plugged it in to my calander. any ideas as to the levitationpart of the deal?
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She found the stench of sin that emanated from regular mortals so offensive that she escaped it by floating up to the tops of trees and the ceiling of churches.
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i find it repulsive too but all i can do is shake my head. what was her deal.
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Art Appreciation Day. Visit a museum, go to a concert, take a walk in a sculpture garden, take an artist or someone named Art to lunch, you get the idea; be creative about it.
Go Fly A Kite Day. Well, why not?
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Did you know that today is World Smile Day?
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;-(
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No, Clyde, like this 😉
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:~(
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love it pj
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good day for it
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Sourpuss.
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Meant for Clyde.
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i would nominate bob dylans birthday
jimi hendrix birthday
george gershwins birthday
rembrandt
picasso
van gogh
jackson pollock
franz kline
gaugan
ee cummmings
dickens
einstein
shakespear
fl wright
the wright borothers
devinci
budah
martin luther
confusious
dahli lahma
john kennedy
pope john the 23
ghandi
benjamin desreli
moses
charlie chaplin
james dean
marilyn monroe
gretta garbo
babe ruth
jim thorp
jimmy stewart
john wayne
liz taylor
mozart
beethoven
jsbach
lennon /mccartney
chuck berry
elvis
andy warhol
julia child
captain kangaroo
mr rogers
jim henson
evil knevil
monty python
jimmy durante
walt disney
col sanders
chef boyardee
johnny carson
neil armstrong
john glen
wild bill cody
annie oakly
ethel merman
barbara streisand
mae west
ernest hemmingway
robert frost
kurt vonnegut
brian wilson
bb king
dianah ross
michael jackson
hank williams
dolly parton
patsy cline
johnny cahs
coal miners daughter
steve goodman
miles davis
john coltrane
benny goodman
pete fountain
louis armstrong
dizzy gilespie
les paul
sarte
satie
dylan thomas
james joyce
randy newman
and couldn’t you just go on and on
the post office should have an area where you can pick up you mail on these off days and there could be overtime pay for sorting mail on these new holidays. but these are not paid holidays any more. we need to cut back so the post office delivers on the off days . with this slist we still have 100 days of delivery left but i a sure i have forgotten a few. cmon lets not forget any important people worth celebrating and days and events like the day we withdrew from vietnam,veterans day kind of incorporated all wars and i think they should in fact be celebrated or remembered seperately, each war has its own lesson to learn and circumstances to point to. sing of world war 2 in germany is a perfect example. all you germans out there know how in your face that is and would liek to avoid the discussion again. thats how we do it , by having the next generation be given the inside scoop on what was right or wrong with this picture. what are the great dates , great people moments to be recalled and plugged in?
nice dale!
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Medgar Evers Day.
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exactly, i didn’t know the name. now i do
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Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, Emily Dickinson, William Faulkner, Steven Hawking, Steve Jobs, John Steinbeck, Pete Seeger. This could take all day.
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go girl
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Let’s not forget National Brotherhood Week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlJ8ZCs4jY
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i love tom lehrer
was that 63 or so?
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1967
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what happend to him. he disappeared
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He’s still around, though he long since retired from performing. He ended his career teaching mathematics at the University of California in Santa Cruz. He’s 88 now.
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thanks pj you are a wealth of information.
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Don’t forget Tom Waits. And John Prine. Van Morrison too. And how about Aretha Franklin?
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excellent excellent . keep em coming
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Freddie Mercury for Ben.
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freddie mercury for all of us
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Thank you Linda!
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Roy Orbison for BiB
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i think roy orbisons birthday is already a national holiday
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Thanks, Donna! if it isn’t it should be – and a whole month, not just a day!
and since we’ve just gotten home from the pilgrimage, i’ll add Henry David Thoreau (Thor’ oh) as they said in Concord – with the accent on the first syllable.
there was a huge cairn next to the cabin site – all kinds of rocks – big and little – laid in homage to HDT. Steve (hub) said they have to truck the pile off every few years, it accumulates so.
the Pond, Concord, Massachusetts, cheese workshop, trip were all just peachy. glad we went; glad to be home. goats out in the pasture just now – standing so close to me, all five does – i think they’re glad we’re home also.
Steve hasn’t updated blog yet – lots of gravestone pictures 🙂 he was very happy.
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Sounds like a wonderful trip, Barb. We and the goats missed you baaaaad!
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Do Nothing But Read Day.
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OOoh… can we have one of these every month?
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Excellent idea.
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Then I could catch up on all those books i buy at the book sales…
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it reminds me tf a group that honors the sabbath in a very strict and nonbending fashion. no work at all. no playing in the garden no sweeping or cooking or anything other than hanging out and contemplating life and the universe and sharing time with friends and thoughts. i always thought it was a nice premise.
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yes, there is something good about an occasional day of rest, and slowing down to think and sharing time with friends would make an excellent day all around.
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Tie up and gag your teenager day.
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and her fingernail polish
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And for me… Annual Appreciate That The Teenager is Embracing the To Do List Day!
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They always manage to redeem themselves, don’t they. Mine marched with the high school band in the Dickinson State University Homecoming parade this morning, and then went directly to her barista job until late this afternoon. Not only is she out of the house, she is earning money!
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mine average out being in the dog house and not being in the doghouse. there is never an effort to achieve getting in the plus column only avoiding the minus.
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Fall Colors Day. This would be on different dates in different areas by necessity.
The ash tree in front of my house lost a lot in the last 24 hours or so with al that wind. The maples still look pretty good though, so there’s still time to take a drive.
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quick
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Tulip Planting Day! My bulbs arrived! I’m waiting for the forecasted rain before I plant them.
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Yesterday I ordered 50 bulbs from John Scheepers. It is a good tulip planting day.
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I have to disagree there – bulbs are best planted when nighttime lows are consistently below 50 degrees, or the ground will not be cold enough to keep them dormant. It would be better to wait about a week. At least in St. Paul. Don’t know if it’s any cooler where you are, Renee.
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Good point, Linda. Fall has finally arrived here and our nights are below 50. I keep forgetting how much warmer it is in the Cities.
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oh rats, i was going to plant bulbs today,, too, and it has been too warm here. but i wanted to plant them before i planted the perennials that are going to be intermingled with them, because otherwise i have to dig up the perennials to plant the bulbs. and with they way things are going it will be too warm to plant them until we get days of sleet and highs of 34 and lows of 10. I do so want it to cool off (to good bulb planting weather) and a little rain would be appreciated, too.
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leonard cohen
leonard bernstein
elmer bernstein
elmer fudd
walter lanz
mel blanc
mel torme
frank sinatra
tony bennett
ella fitzgerald
f scott fitzgerald
truman capote
harry truman
harry nillson
harry chapin
ary chapin carpenter
karen and richard carpenter
richard burton
burt lahr
jack haley
ray bolger
judy garland
liza minelli
vincent minelli
michelangelo
edward hopper
hop along cassidy
tarzan
superman
batman
zorro
robin hood
scotch tape day
post it note day
waffle day
vegetarian day
wine day
beer day
marajuana day
mushroom day
dream day
relax your shoulders day
drink an extra glas of water day
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Well, if we’re going to have a post-it note and a scotch tape day, how about a velcro and zipper day?
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I celebrated Post-It Note day in August — Art Fry’s birthday is August 19!
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How does one celebrate of Post-It Notes?
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how could i forget velcro day geeeeze
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PJ – a small package of post-its, one on each fingernail and each toe (gotta wear sandals). On your forehead too, with something you want to say to everyone.
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velcro day can be hard to stick in your mind, tim. all those fuzzies from the gray matter makes it hard to stick.
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I guess I could have worn that to the demonstration this afternoon. We’ll be going back tomorrow. We’re making a sign for our Dachshund to wear; don’t want him to feel left out.
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Abe Lincoln, Bobby Kennedy, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, Harvey Milk, Mother Teresa
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Paul Wellstone.
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good list donna
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welstone day is a must
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World Dale Connelly Day.
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Good one!
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Add Garrison Keillor and Dick Cavett to the docket.
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This will be the first Columbus Day we’ve not had off (although in SD it’s called Native American Day) for as long as I can remember. Last year a committee of parents went to the school board and complained about the early start in August. Their wish was granted. This year, instead of starting on Aug. 15, school began Aug. 22. Last year, school started Aug. 16 and finished May 17. This calendar year, students’ last day is May 15. How can this be, you ask? The district agreed to the later start, only to remove an equal number of vacation days. Swell.
I’m going to take a walk now to hopefully subdue the contempt I have at the moment for my masters.
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Got a funny birthday card once with a little list of 365 holidays – my birthday fell on The Butterfly Netweavers’ Picnic. 🙂 I’ll nominate that.
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You must not have a winter birthday.
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March 26, still a little cool in most parts for a picnic – I always wondered about that.
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go to where the butterflys are at thant time of year. picnics are great in mexico in march
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Loved this line, Dale: “Though if you’re Native American, Columbus Day IS Halloween – a chilling reminder of the closeness of death.” Remember on Northern Exposure how on Thanksgiving in (was it?) Roslyn, the custom was for the native americans to pelt the gringos with tomatoes, etc…
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The fictional town was Cicely, Alaska….Roslyn, Washington was the real-life town where the exterior scenes were shot.
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katherine hepburn
margetet thatcher
hillary clinton
jane goodall
geraldine ferraro
gloria steinem
rosa parks
h rap brown
stokley carmichael
malcolm x
thurgood marshall
huey newton
bobby seale
robert kennedy
ted kennedy
theodore cleaver
andy taylor
barney fife
perry mason
sherlock holmes
agatha christy
frodo and bilbo baggins
harry potter
winnie the pooh
alice
mohammad ali
pete rose
willy mays
hank aaron
jackie robinson
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I am in favor of several of these holidays – especially World Waffle Day. If World Waffle Day could coincide with International Peanut Butter Day, that would be grand. I am also a fan of the notion of having a day of reading (or three).
Is Shel Silverstein on any of the lists yet? He should have a day, too. I also firmly believe that there should be a grand celebration of National Punctuation Day with comma parades, a presentation of the semicolon and em-dash guard, and finishing with an exclamation point ball.
(For the record – as a good Norwegian, I have a hard time with calling it Columbus Day, and prefer Explorer’s Day to celebrate Leif Erickson and all the others who found their way here – after all, Columbus did use a Viking map. 🙂 )
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Anna – WOT – but i thought you should know that i have it on good authority that Cynthia in Mahtowa will schmooze with the Queen and King of Norge when they visit Duloot this fall. saw Cynthia at lunch at Green Pastures this noon – she is busy but doing well. we talked cheese.
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My aunt will also be in attendance with their Royal Highnesses. I am a wee touch jealous. But only a wee though – her tickets were a birthday present from her kids. Should be a grand time in Duloot. (I did get to meet one if the princesses once – when she was in town on a book tour…Princess Martha Louise.) Good to know that you are keeping tabs on our Cynthia (and that there is talk of cheese – a day without cheese is a day without sunshine in my world).
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Tell us about Green Pastures, BiB – is it a restaurant? cafe? farm & garden shop?
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BiR – Green Pastures is a family farm raising grass-fed dairy cows and then making gouda and cheddar-type cheeses with the milk. they also have a little cafe attached to the cheese-make room where they sell sandwiches made with their meats and cheeses. next weekend may be the last time they are open for the season. and they said they may only be serving pies and coffee. hours are friday and saturday 10 to 4.
website: http://www.greenpasturesdairy.com/
on Carlton county 61 just below Atkinson (don’t blink) and just above Mahtowa. lovely place. cheeses are yummy.
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yes shel silverstien is the epitome of life well lived.
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I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Twyla Tharp yet.
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Or Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham.
OT – Went to an iron pour at the old Smith Brewery this evening. That’s really something to behold.
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where is that?
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The old old Schmidt Brewery on West 7th Str. in St. Paul. Husband took some great pictures. Very dramatic with lots of fire and sparks flying.
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got it thanks
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Evening all.
Good stuff today. Nice lists tim!
I had ‘The Neighbors Combined My Soybeans Day’ (they’re slightly below average this year. – The beans, not the neighbors.) and I added some braces to a friends garage so it hopefully won’t lean in the wind as bad as it has been. Do we need a National Brace Your Garage Day?
I’ve had a shower and getting ready for supper. And a nap on the couch I expect…
Later–
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If today was National Brace Your Garage Day, I celebrated early…(had to re-attach the bracing for the overhead garage door, which was jerry-rigged to begin with, by a prior owner, and now is becoming almost sculptural with my additions a couple weekends ago).
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Hey, Queen Isabella, stay away from that fella,
He’ll just get you into trouble you know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s83Ecf9nHk
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Nice, Linda. Think the queen likes Queen?
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Freddie Mercury makes her feel like a millionaire.
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One more. Can’t help myself.
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Rise and Shine Baboons?
Holy Cow Baboons! What a response. Of course I want a National Baboon Day. Did anyone else hear the article on baboon behavior during the 3:00pm show yesterday afternoon? Very interesting.
The canning is DONE!
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National Black Walnut Pickers Day.
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And also National Jump In a Pile of Leaves Day.
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Hope there are no walnuts in it!
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Break a leg.
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I’ve got the pile of leaves…Also, thanks for the Peabody. I’ll have to agree with the guy about Elko, Nevada.
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barishnakov
ansel adams edward westom
geogrgia o keefe
mary cassatt
woddy guthrie
flatt and scruggs
jonas salk
madame currie
off to the day keep the lists going
fun stuff dale who woulda thunk it
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Ellen Degeneres. Did you see Sunday Morning? Superb as usual.
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Doc Watson
Mississippi John Hurt
E. B White
James Herriot
J. R. R. Tolkien
Douglas Adams
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John Hartford
Thomas Moran
Michael Hedges
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I’d just like to point out that while Columbus Day is a national holiday, it is not a state holiday. Your loyal, hardworking state employees will be at their desks, answering their phones, repairing their own computers, filling out forms, blah blah blah.
I might never have been introduced to this wonderful singer if not for Dale. Thanks, Dale. This is one of my favorites:
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I’ll be at work tomorrow, too. Husband is off to Fargo for a conference on Autism. He is also bringing a boatload of produce, home canned goodies and other miscellany to our son and daughter in law. He will return with some provisions for the winter-50 Lbs of Swany White flour, cans of Turkish olive oil, mortadella, canned Italian tomatoes, Dunn Bros. coffee beans, all the things we can’t get here or in Bismarck. If we were in Canada tomorrow we would be celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving.
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Sounds like a modern twist on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “The Long WInter.” 🙂 Maybe I should think about stocking up!
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I think i should play a recording of “The Wells Fargo Wagon” when he turns in the driveway.
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not mr feeney form green acres or eddie albert as ali hakim from oklahoma?
say if you ever have a need for a dunn bros bag of beans or a grocery list ot make freight work correctly, let me know i’d be happy to send a care package.
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Aaahhh, Krista, I just had time to listen. Thanks so much for Columbo – I’d almost forgotten about it.
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she is a favorite of mine too. she is the former lead singer of an irish group called de dannan who had maura oconnell as their lead singer prior to mary i fell in love with them when i was on an extended visit to ireland in the 80’s . i saw mary at the fitz 20 years ago and was wowwed big time
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Tyrone Guthrie
Tharon Musser
Jean Rosenthal
Julie Taymor
Eugene Lee
Boris Aronson
Jules Fisher
(these are all theater designers / directors)
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Glad you added that, Ben. The only one I had ever heard of was Tyrone Guthrie. Will have to Google the rest.
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I just drove thru downtown St Paul and passed a bar with a sign reading, “Welcome Zombies.” Indeed yesterday was also International Zombie Day. In a similar vein we should not forget Talk Like a Pirate Day and Darwin Day (pro-evolution version).
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I second Talk Like a Pirate Day.
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Arrr!
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i just sent off my latest pirate joke to a guy i exchange with every year. i think it was about a week ago.
guy walks into a bar with a ships steering wheel sticking out of the front of his pants,
hey matey why do you have a steering wheel down your pants?
arrrgggh he replied
its driving me nuts.
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http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html
september 19
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Funny joke, t. Were they black walnuts or english?
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Edith Kaplan
Virginia Axline
Salvadore Minuchin
John Exner
David Wechsler
Murray Bowen
Aaron Beck
Jay Haley
(These are all psychologists and therapists)
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You forgot Dr. Phil! Tee-hee.
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His could be called, Beat Yourself Up Day.
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Dr. Ruth
Dr. Joyce Brothers
Dr. Jacque!
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Dr. Pepper
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International “Thumb Your Nose At Government Day.”
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Aaarrrr.
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