Why the anti-Paliament thing?
I say bring on the funk, gotta have the funk!
GF makes a tasty Ramadan soup, so there’s that.
Does Ramadan involve presents?
Another politically correct holiday to honor a protected class. But I bet it won’t be Eid al-Fitr.
Actually, now that I think about it, Mexico’s Day of the Dead seems like quite a lovely occasion.
The Indian festival of Holi, apparently.
I’m Indian, and this definitely leaves me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m very uncomfortable with the term “cultural appropriation” because the mixing of cultures and festivals has been going on as long as societies have butted against each other. If a bunch of hipsters in NYC want to run around in freezing April weather (mid-summer in India, which is why it makes sense there), more power to them.
On the other hand, as someone who rather uncomfortably straddles two cultures and is increasingly aware that his Indian side is being diluted by living abroad, it’s a shame that a rich, deep, meaningful tradition that has several thousand years of history is being exploited for largely shallow, often commercial gain. I’m not saying there’s a solution to this, just observing that it’s rather unfortunate. There’s a difference between adopting elements of a foreign culture and merging them into your own, and just chasing a fad, and this definitely feels like the latter.
May Day was observed in the USA for centuries, and even marked on calendars, but was abolished during the Cold War, because it coincided with a patriotic holiday of the dreaded USSR.
A popular tradition on May Day would be for pre-adolescent children to deliver a May Basket to a child upon whom they had a current crush. The basket would be hand-made from simple materials, and contain a token gift. It wold be left at the door of the beloved, the door bell rung, and the child would then run home, for fear of being kissed if caught.
In those days, such things were thought of as innocent fun, rather than perverted pathology. May Day would later become a day of dread, on which the looming specter of socialism would stalk people’s imaginations.
I just though of a good answer: Purim. It’s got it all–great backstory, noise makers, food giving, that whole “drink until you can’t tell Haman and Mordechai apart”. It’s hampered by the fact it drifts around the calender, but that hasn’t hurt Easter.
Hmm, good question. The new holiday should be in August, because that’s a holiday dry month in the US. But what can we celebrate? What august August occasion makes the most sense? I know! My birthday! That’s in August!
Everyone gets the day off work with pay! To show their appreciation for the free money, everyone in the US (and ex-pats) will send me $1.00. Just 1 measly dollar for a whole day off - what a bargain! Shoot, I’ll even send myself a dollar!
I’ll start the Congressional Application for Mandatory Federal Holiday paperwork immediately!
Holi is becoming a thing here, I agree. You’ve got the color runs which are Holi-derived, and actual Holi celebrations. The International Student Services center throws a celebration on the CWRU campus here in Cleveland, this year was the 2nd one and it was well attended. Unlike Brooklyn though, this one is pretty diverse, and appears welcomed and well-promoted by the Asian students here. I had a good time, and took some Video 
We need a bright and shiny festival for the spring, with parades and the like, so what about the Kanamara Matsuri(Shinto “Festival of the Steel Phallus”)? Lots of fun activities which I won’t describe, but you can read a bit about it here.
Oddly enough, even though I am aware of Dyngus Day (Śmigus-dyngus), it’s not really celebrated here in Polish-heavy Chicago. We do “Pączki Day,” (pączki are a type of jelly-filled donut) but that’s just Fat Tuesday by another name. That said, in Poland, it’s celebrated as “Fat Thursday” and occurs the week before Ash Wednesday. So we could have another day to fatten ourselves up before Lent.
Some people do celebrate it in the Boston area. I have been to Guy Fawkes parties a number of times. They are usually hosted by English ex-pats but lots of different types of people come. It is a cool holiday.
I’d suggest a Boston Tea Party Day, where you all drink cups of tea and eat cucumber sandwiches (cut diagonally into quarters with the crusts cut off, obviously) and reflect on the grave mistake you made by putting your lot in with the likes of George Washington, rather than staying with your lords and masters the British.
I’ve got my coat, the taxi’s on its way…
“…And they called him mascarooooneeee”
Chinese New Years, with the heavy emphasis on enough fireworks to simulate a battlefield.
In Japan, Respect for the Aged Day is the third Monday in September. It is celebrated by drinking sake from silver cups. Now get off my lawn.
Regarding Dyngus Day, in Northwest Indiana it’s a pretty big deal. There is a large Polish population in that area, in some cities as much as 40%. When the area’s business base was still largely manufacturing, the factories would shut down on Dyngus Day rather than on Good Friday, as the bulk of their workforce would call in sick if they didn’t.
It’s still celebrated as a non-official holiday, but it has become intimately associated with politics. Taking place, as it does, a short time before the Indiana primary elections, it became common for local politicos to attend the celebrations as a way to meet and greet the constituents. The politicking aspect grew rapidly, and it wasn’t long before national politicians began to show up at Dyngus Day events. Probably the biggest name to have attended during the time I lived there was Ted Kennedy, who came for several years.
Although it started primarily as a Democratic political opportunity, the Republicans eventually jumped on the boat in the early '70s and are now equally active in the festivities.
Dyngus Day still retains some of its Polish characteristics, but the politicking has long outshown the cultural traditions.
It’s odd, though, that this didn’t make it’s way into Chicago, which also has a large Polish population. Perhaps it’s because it didn’t become an excuse for a political rally the way it has done in Indiana.
With these caveats above:
I like Lodi for the winter, it’s a bonfire festival, and it would do us good to get out in January around a bonfire and be together.
Also Diwali. How can you guys not be all over Diwali?
I was just coming to say Diwali. I love Diwali.
Guy Fawkes night in the England is pretty rubbish now anyway - it’s basically just basically crappy municipal fireworks displays and antisocial kids letting off their own fireworks.
I remember when I was a kid it was a bit more fun: bonfires and people going around with effigies of Guy Fawkes in wheelbarrows trying to get a “penny for the guy”.