Happy President’s day. I resolve to act more presidential than normal today (which means a tiny bit).
Most Euros take a solid three weeks off mid-to-late summer.
Could we benefit from a more European approach to national holidays? What if we give back six of the second through eighth holidays listed below and then add the Friday after Thanksgiving since it’s my favorite holiday and also insert a week-long national holiday where most everything shuts down.
In exchange for sporadic three day weekends, everyone truly goes on some sort of vacation, reconnects with loved ones, and recharges.
If this idea catches on and is ultimately adopted, I expect a national holiday in my honor.
| 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 |
I’m okay with this. But the post office must not shut down. I couldn’t go without my daily dose of landfill waste.
If we do it, I think we have to go all in. No mail, no stock market, and we get Al Gore to flip the internet switch off. A bold national experiment in unplugging.