# New Public Holidays In US **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670 "2010-11-06T04:35:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/1 "2010-11-06T04:35:17Z")
Reunification Day-April 9th, Surrender of Lee’s army, essential end of Southern Rebellion Victory Day-September 2nd, End of World War II Remembrance Day-September 11th, 9-11 terrorist attacks Reformation Day-October 31st, the Protestant Reformation, end of Roman Catholic stranglehold on Europe James K Polk’s Birthday-November 2nd, Birthday of one of America’s greatest Presidents Whaddya think ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/2 "2010-11-06T04:37:24Z")
Yes, the US should definitely have a public holiday to celebrate the Protestant Reformation. What an awesome idea! P.S. Are you high? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/3 "2010-11-06T04:40:45Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Yes, the US should definitely have a public holiday to celebrate the Protestant Reformation. What an awesome idea! > > P.S. Are you high? No and it doesn’t just celebrate the Protestant Reformation but the breaking of the Roman Catholic stranglehold on the human mind. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/4 "2010-11-06T05:02:00Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > No and it doesn’t just celebrate the Protestant Reformation but the breaking of the Roman Catholic stranglehold on the human mind. And this has what to do with anything in the US??? And “stranglehold on the human mind?” WTF is that? You also just insulted the U.S. Catholic population. And September 11th is already a holiday – Patriot Day. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/5 "2010-11-06T05:02:34Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > No and it doesn’t just celebrate the Protestant Reformation but the breaking of the Roman Catholic stranglehold on the human mind. Wow, I never knew my paternal ancestors, who have never been any flavor of Christian, didn’t have “human minds”. Or that my maternal ancestors, who actually were Roman Catholic, had a stranglehold on _anything_. You’ve managed to offend both sides of my family in one fell swoop! That is very impressive. I must admit to being a little confused at how someone of Asian descent can be so Eurocentric. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/6 "2010-11-06T05:03:58Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > And this has what to do with anything in the US??? And “stranglehold on the human mind?” WTF is that? You also just insulted the U.S. Catholic population. > > And September 11th is already a holiday – Patriot Day. I am not insulting Catholics-I am condemning the Roman Catholic institution’s corruption and persecution at the time of Luther. Also if the United States is founded on human freedom we should celebrate such a great blow for it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/7 "2010-11-06T05:08:50Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I am not insulting Catholics-I am condemning the Roman Catholic institution’s corruption and persecution at the time of Luther. Also if the United States is founded on human freedom we should celebrate such a great blow for it. :smack: Except the U.S. didn’t even EXIST at that time. You might just as well support a holiday celebrating the Magna Carta, or the founding of the Republic of Ireland. It’s also an extremely religious-centered concept. Definitely a no-go. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/8 "2010-11-06T05:11:56Z")
I think we should have a holiday celebrating the destruction of the second Death Star. Fuck the Empire! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/9 "2010-11-06T05:15:16Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Whaddya think > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Reunification Day-April 9th, Surrender of Lee’s army, essential end of Southern Rebellion Well, for one thing, it’s an event which happened nearly 150 years ago. If we haven’t been commemorating it up until now, why start now? Secondly, most of the country either (a) doesn’t really care, or (b) still bears a grudge about the whole thing (i.e., some sections of the South) > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Victory Day-September 2nd, End of World War II I think that this was recognized for a while after the war ended (though “V-J Day” was noted as both the day of the initial surrender (August 14 or 15, depending on where it’s recognized), as well as September 2nd (when the formal papers were signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri)). As time has passed, this date (as well as V-E Day, the day on which Germany surrendered) seem to have faded in importance for Americans. In addition, this date falls so close to a major, established U.S. holiday (Labor Day), that I don’t see it getting much traction. > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Remembrance Day-September 11th, 9-11 terrorist attacks Already recognized. In the first year or two after 9-11, I figured that the date might become a second Memorial Day, but I’m not at all sure that the national momentum is there anymore (though it certainly might be in NYC and DC, cities which are still more acutely aware of it). > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Reformation Day-October 31st, the Protestant Reformation, end of Roman Catholic stranglehold on Europe Largely irrelevant to modern American culture. > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > James K Polk’s Birthday-November 2nd, Birthday of one of America’s greatest Presidents Seriously? Most Americans couldn’t even name Polk, much less any of his accomplishments. I think this statement on [his Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Polk) sums it up: "Polk has been called the ‘least known consequential president’ of the United States. Take a look at [this page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_United_States_Presidents), which summarizes a number of scholarly rankings of the presidents. Polk consistently comes in around 10th to 12th place. Clearly one of our better presidents, but why single him out for particular enshrinement? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/10 "2010-11-06T05:40:13Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Well, for one thing, it’s an event which happened nearly 150 years ago. If we haven’t been commemorating it up until now, why start now? > > Secondly, most of the country either (a) doesn’t really care, or (b) still bears a grudge about the whole thing (i.e., some sections of the South) > > I think that this was recognized for a while after the war ended (though “V-J Day” was noted as both the day of the initial surrender (August 14 or 15, depending on where it’s recognized), as well as September 2nd (when the formal papers were signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri)). > > As time has passed, this date (as well as V-E Day, the day on which Germany surrendered) seem to have faded in importance for Americans. > > In addition, this date falls so close to a major, established U.S. holiday (Labor Day), that I don’t see it getting much traction. > > Already recognized. In the first year or two after 9-11, I figured that the date might become a second Memorial Day, but I’m not at all sure that the national momentum is there anymore (though it certainly might be in NYC and DC, cities which are still more acutely aware of it). > > Largely irrelevant to modern American culture. > > Seriously? Most Americans couldn’t even name Polk, much less any of his accomplishments. I think this statement on [his Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Polk) sums it up: "Polk has been called the ‘least known consequential president’ of the United States. > > Take a look at [this page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_United_States_Presidents), which summarizes a number of scholarly rankings of the presidents. Polk consistently comes in around 10th to 12th place. Clearly one of our better presidents, but why single him out for particular enshrinement? You could say many Americans don’t care about those days because they have been out of the public consciousness ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/11 "2010-11-06T06:06:41Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > You could say many Americans don’t care about those days because they have been out of the public consciousness You _could_ say this. What’s your point? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/12 "2010-11-06T06:24:12Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > You could say many Americans don’t care about those days because they have been out of the public consciousness So then what’s the point of the holiday? ---
**Author:** ![\_mostly\_Harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/9d8465/32.png) [@\_mostly\_Harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_mostly_Harmless)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/13 "2010-11-06T21:44:29Z")
I’d support a holiday marking the end of WWII. I also support a holiday remembering nine-eleven but I don’t really like calling it ‘Patriot Day’. (I have nothing against patriotism I just don’t like the sound of that name). Those other holidays the OP mentioned are just a waste of time and energy. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/14 "2010-11-06T22:18:05Z")
Do what we did a couple of years ago: institute a statutory holiday in mid-February and call it “Family Day”. (It was almost “Flag Day”, based on the adoption of the current flag in 1965.) We are now a lot closer to having statutory holidays spread evenly throughout the year; Family Day filled in the largest gap. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/15 "2010-11-06T22:20:31Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > :smack: > Except the U.S. didn’t even EXIST at that time. You might just as well support a holiday celebrating the Magna Carta, or the founding of the Republic of Ireland The US didn’t exist in 1919? Other people have mentioned that we already have Patriot Day, even if nobody celebrates it as such. However, we also have Remembrance Day. You call it Veterans Day. And September 2nd is already VJ Day, the date of signing the surrender. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/16 "2010-11-06T22:30:22Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > The US didn’t exist in 1919? Go back and read **Guin** ’s post. Unless you’re under the misapprehension that the Protestant Reformation occurred in the 20th century, all will become clear to you. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/17 "2010-11-06T22:39:42Z")
[QUOTE=And September 11th is already a holiday – Patriot Day.[/QUOTE] It bothers me that they couldn’t think of an original name. Patriot’s Day has been the third Monday in April when the Boston Marathon is run, since 1969. We shouldn’t let the terrorists change our holidays. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/18 "2010-11-06T22:57:29Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Reunification Day-April 9th, Surrender of Lee’s army, essential end of Southern Rebellion A bit redundant with Memorial Day, which was originally a day to commemorate the dead from the Civil War. > [@](#): > > Reformation Day-October 31st, the Protestant Reformation, end of Roman Catholic stranglehold on Europe Heh. Appropriately enough, the same day as Halloween. I propose it be celebrated by going house to house and scaring people by dressing as the Pope (or even better, Sister Mary Elephant). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/19 "2010-11-06T23:02:22Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Heh. Appropriately enough, the same day as Halloween. I propose it be celebrated by going house to house and scaring people by dressing as the Pope (or even better, Sister Mary Elephant). 😃 “Candy or I’ll nail these theses to your door!” ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670/20 "2010-11-06T23:17:16Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Reunification Day-April 9th, Surrender of Lee’s army, essential end of Southern Rebellion > Victory Day-September 2nd, End of World War II > Remembrance Day-September 11th, 9-11 terrorist attacks > Reformation Day-October 31st, the Protestant Reformation, end of Roman Catholic stranglehold on Europe > James K Polk’s Birthday-November 2nd, Birthday of one of America’s greatest Presidents > > Whaddya think Reformation Day? What the heck does the Protestant reformation have to do with the US, **Curtis** , other than how everything has something to do with everything else that’s ever happened on the planet? I think the last thing this country needs is yet another holiday to draw even more attention to, or lend more legitimacy to, Christianity, thank you very much. Remembrance Day I think I can get behind, only because Nine-eleven is such a stupid name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-public-holidays-in-us/559670.md?page=2)