Posts Tagged holidays
Celebrate all holidays
Posted by Adam in Indiana Daily Student 2000, Newspaper Columns on January 14, 2000
Growing up as a child, my favorite holiday of the year was President’s Day: a three-day weekend in the middle of February while I was in elementary school. It was memorable, in part, because it was the one day a year my oldest sister and I hung out together.
Dinner on President’s Day was also always memorable. Mother would cook a gingerbread cake for dessert, and we would share Abraham Lincoln’s favorite dessert.
Somewhere along the way, we started celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day instead of President’s Day. No longer was I able to enjoy a three-day weekend in February because the school authorities decided we couldn’t have that many days off during the spring semester and still have an adequate education.
I don’t think they made the right decision. Part of being an American citizen is participating in American holidays, and President’s Day is one of the most important. The day is between the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington’s, arguably the two most important presidents in American history.
Other days are also important for celebration and reflection: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day.
IU only recognizes four American holidays: Martin Luther Jr. King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving Day, a fact that might come as a surprise to many people.
Take any new student who assumed we would not have school on Labor Day , a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. This is an important holiday because it celebrates the efforts of the common working individual. But IU has seen fit for students and faculty (but not staff — they have the day off) to work on this day.
We also miss Columbus Day, the day we choose to remember Christopher Columbus, who in 1492 sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered what eventually became known as America. Whether you believe Columbus to be a hero, he is an individual certainly worth remembering. Again, everyone at IU spends this day in class or at work.
On Veterans’ Day, we celebrate the men and women who fought for the freedom of this nation during all the wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the Gulf War, just to name a few. At IU, we do not spend the day remembering the men and women who have fought for our nation and died; we instead spend it in the classroom, doing our regular studies.
Which brings us full circle to examine the four days that we, as a university, have chosen to celebrate, starting with Independence Day. Without a doubt, this is the single-most important holiday on the American calendar. Commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this day celebrates the independence of the United States of America from King George of England.
Thanksgiving is the next holiday on IU’s calendar, a day established by the pilgrims who came to America for religious freedom. Usually celebrated shortly after the fall harvest, this was a time to gather and celebrate. In most respects, this holiday celebrates the enduring American can-do spirit to overcome the greatest odds.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the newest national holiday on the calendar, added in 1983; this holiday celebrates the man who pushed for a fundamental change in the relationship between the races. The day offers many reminders of the distance we have traveled toward better race relations since the end of World War II, but it also reminds me of the distance we have yet to travel.
Memorial Day, established in 1948, is our designated day to remember those who have died fighting in wars. This is, without a doubt, another important American holiday: a day to pause and reflect upon those who really have paid the ultimate price for your and my freedom.
But is any one holiday more important than another?
I believe none of the holidays are more or less important than any of the others, and as such, we need to celebrate all of them. University administrators should not pick the holidays we celebrate based on a quasi-popularity contest, as it seems to be done now. As a nation, we’ve selected these days to celebrate our heritage, and IU should choose to celebrate these days as well.
Creating new traditions
Posted by Adam in Indiana Daily Student 1998, Newspaper Columns on December 2, 1998
Last week marked the first time in my life that I did not go home for Thanksgiving dinner.
This was a very different Thanksgiving for me. Instead of a two-hour drive, home is now 1,200 miles and a $325 round-trip plane ticket away. Consequently, I am choosing my trips home more carefully. Like many students, Thanksgiving break did not fit into my budget this year.
The small window of opportunity often limits travel plans for students who live out of state, or even out of the country. I was one of the few students who chose to stick around Bloomington for a celebration that is almost purely American in history and in scope. Left to my own devices in Bloomington, I had to create my own traditions. Many of the changes seemed positive at first glance.
Instead of listening to (and participating in) the traditional annual family arguments, I slept until 9 a.m. Instead of sitting around a large table with my parents, my three siblings and my two nephews eating turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, I watched movies on television and read books while listening to music. Instead of wondering how soon dinner would be finished so I could escape the chaos, I found myself yearning to stretch the day out and make it even longer. And instead of playing cards after dinner while somewhat tipsy, I found myself at a friend’s apartment drinking wine and having an enjoyable conversation about post-World War II European politics.
But despite this pleasant experience, breaking from my family traditions wasn’t easy. Thanksgiving is my mother’s favorite holiday of the year. She starts preparation for the dinner two weeks in advance. I remember calling her the first week of November, and while I was barely aware November had started, she was already preparing the yams.
I found myself missing her cooking: there is no substitute for Mom’s pumpkin pudding. Even after all of us kids grew up, we fought over who got to lick the bowl she made the pudding in. There is also no substitute for Mom’s stuffing — so popular that she’s forced to prepare several baking pans full in order to have enough. There is never any leftover stuffing to enjoy Friday, no matter how much she makes. I also found myself missing the day after Thanksgiving — a day filled with eating roast turkey sandwiches, going shopping and the traditional post-Thanksgiving Chinese food dinner.
Instead, I found myself in my office trying to figure out why I couldn’t solve a statistics problem. It’s not quite a fair trade-off, no matter how you do the calculation.
There is an up side to being on campus during Thanksgiving break. Not once did I have a problem finding a parking spot. I was also able to drive across town without the tremendous traffic hassle that typifies Bloomington when everybody is still around town. I was able to get some Christmas shopping done during the break. I went out to the west side of town for the first time in two months, visited Lowe’s and found my father’s Christmas present. (I’d tell you what it is, but I don’t want to spoil his surprise.)
As students, part of our education is becoming independent, even at holidays. But it doesn’t have to be a sudden break. This Thanksgiving, I enjoyed creating my own traditions, but I’m not ready to leave behind the traditions of my childhood.
I’m still searching for the presents for my siblings and nephews. I need to ship them home so they’ll be waiting under the tree for another family tradition: opening our presents on Christmas Eve.
I will be there for that tradition.