We’re close to Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday that got repurposed as a drinking and party holiday just like St. Patrick’s Day. So what other ethnic/religious holiday should American culture adopt as an excuse for a party?
Even though there’s a lot of us of Eastern European descent in America, there’s not much going on to celebrate us!
How about Dyngus Day? Buffalo and now Cleveland have started the ball rolling for you…
We used to get Che Guevara Day off when I lived/worked in California. I miss that one. Would still work for me.
Unpaid Internship Adviser Depreciation Day.
The cross-quarter days: Candlemass, Beltane, Lugh’s Night, and Samhain.
VE and VJ days.
The Down-Under Corroboree.
Beethoven’s Birthday (as celebrated annually in Peanuts for a long time.)
I celebrate the “I’m not at work” occasion every night.
Canadian Boxing Day (not nearly as cool as it sounds) would work quite well. I am not sure I would go for it myself but Canadian Thanksgiving, roughly a month earlier than ours, might be a big hit for the heavier set. It could be a 2 for 1 deal with the earlier one being the warmup.
How about some suggestions from Japan related to nature?
March 21: Vernal Equinox Day
May 4: Greenery (Nature) Day
July 18: Marine (Sea) Day
August 11: Mountain Day
September 22 :Autumnal Equinox Day
How about Kamehameha Day?
Leap Day.
I personally observe Yuri’s Night, if that counts.
Semi-serious answer: I’m surprised you guys don’t go in for Guy Fawkes Night in a big way. Explosions! Bonfires! Fireworks! Hating on the English! Anti-Parliament Sentiment! It’s all there, just waiting to become part of the American Pantheon of Holidays.
IOW, add more food to Columbus Day.
Michaelmas has a convenient date, as does Midsummer. Build some bonfires in the mediterranean tradition and add some Shakespearean fairies - not to the actual fire, around it! Fireworks not optional. End the night with a breakfast of chocolate con churros (toast soldiers for those who don’t like churros), then sleep off.
We have Melbourne Cup Day. We literally get a day off for the sake of a horse race.
Too close to Hallowe’en.
No love for Ramadan?
Tomb Sweeping Day!
In Colonial Times, Guy Fawkes Night was celebrated in by the More Protestant Than Thou Bostonians, who called it Pope Night. Growing anti-British sentiment added to the celebration. General Washington ordered it ended to avoid offending potential Catholic allies in Quebec. That alliance fell through but the French alliance made anti-Catholic rudeness undesirable. (A good source here.) Boston’s demographics changed considerably in the next century.
The Southern colonies were not welcoming to Catholics (except for Maryland–originally) but lacked Puritan roots. And the Quakers of Pennsylvania would have considered such celebrations rude–they actually did practice religious toleration.
Burns Night is a good’n.