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School districts give the days off they do largely because there would be so many kids out anyway, that they just make it a holiday. This is largely regional. For example, there are school districts in rural Pennsylvania that have the first day of hunting season off. The public school district I went to had all of the Jewish holidays off because there was a large enough Jewish population that the number of kids who would have been out would have been substantial.
There are actually 11 national holidays. No company is obligated or forced to give you any of them off or close down on those days.
The one day I would like to see made a national holiday, with mandatory days or time off, is election day. Having to work should not be a barrier to voting. And with absentee voting and mail-in ballots being made harder to do and get, and early voting windows becoming shorter, and polling locations closing causing hours long waits, voting is becoming prohibitively difficult.
However we COULD add another one to the first Tuesday in August to extend the weekend even further.
Mightyqueen Day.
In all seriousness though I really think the US is missing out on Boxing Day. Yes a lot take it off, but knowing that it is a stat makes can really work in some peoples favour.
For example. This year Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, and Boxing Day on a Sunday. So when I was working, since those two stats fell on the weekend we would get four days off.
Even in other years, having the day off after Christmas gives people time to relax after what is usually a hectic time. Or, many people have a party for friends that day. Christmas for family, Boxing Day with friends.
I'm assuming that in the US since Christmas is on a Saturday this year, people are given the Monday as a paid day off day??
I worked all my life for a public authority, so when Christmas fell on Saturday, we got Friday off, and when it fell on Sunday, we got Monday off. Not sure how the private sector handles it.
I'm all for Boxing Day. I too am surprised it didn't catch on here. Many people take the day off anyway.
School districts give the days off they do largely because there would be so many kids out anyway, that they just make it a holiday. This is largely regional. For example, there are school districts in rural Pennsylvania that have the first day of hunting season off. The public school district I went to had all of the Jewish holidays off because there was a large enough Jewish population that the number of kids who would have been out would have been substantial.
There are actually 11 national holidays. No company is obligated or forced to give you any of them off or close down on those days.
The one day I would like to see made a national holiday, with mandatory days or time off, is election day. Having to work should not be a barrier to voting. And with absentee voting and mail-in ballots being made harder to do and get, and early voting windows becoming shorter, and polling locations closing causing hours long waits, voting is becoming prohibitively difficult.
Where I worked--again, a public authority--on Election Day we were entitled to either come in late up to four hours after the opening of the polls or leave early up to four hours before the closing of the polls in order to be able to vote. Since many of us where I worked lived in one state and worked in another and as a result had long commutes, that was fair.
I remember my niece in Pennsylvania getting off school the first day of hunting season. That wouldn't likely ever be a national holiday, though.
If election day (first Tuesday in November) was a national holiday, a lot of people would take Monday off and leave town. Forget about voting!
Of course, they could vote absentee. But absentee voting makes "election day" kind of meaningless. I vote in every election, but haven't voted on election day in years.
That's why instead of making Election Day a holiday I think it should be moved to the weekend.
A weekend wouldn't really be feasible. I can't speak for Christians and what they may or may not do on their Sabbath on Sunday, but many Jews on our Sabbath on Saturday are not permitted to use electronic devices. So that rules out electronic voting machines. I'm not even certain whether voting by any other means would be permissible for us on the Sabbath.
If election day (first Tuesday in November) was a national holiday, a lot of people would take Monday off and leave town. Forget about voting!
Of course, they could vote absentee. But absentee voting makes "election day" kind of meaningless. I vote in every election, but haven't voted on election day in years.
States differ on the degree of absentee voting permitted. Everyone is not as lucky as you are.
I think that September 11th should have been a "national day of mourning", and should have started that following year, and shame on America for not doing so.
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