The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-24
THE WORLDS HOLIDAYS.
DFFNRENCEs IN CUSTOMS or THE
STATES OF THE UNION.

Celebrations of the Anniversaries of
State and National Events-Aus-
trnIin's Many HoIIdnys-Thc SAT-
urday Half Holiday.
From the New York Sun.
Thanksgiving day, soon to be celebrated
comes nearer even than the Fourth of July
to being a legal national holiday, for al
| though the Fourth of July is celebrated
in some parts Of the country where
Thanksgiving day is neglected, the Pres
| dents proclamation gives to the latter
! a sort of official character that the former
has not obtained. 1t Is not for the federal
| government to tell the people Of the Unit
ed states when they shall quit business
and take to pleasure. 1t is a matter for the
states to establish legal holidays The
President in his Thanksgiving proclama-
| ton merely recommends that the people.
neglecting their ordinary vocations, OBJ
serve the day with proper ceremony.
As a matter of fact the people of the
United States work harder and have few
er holidays than any other people in the
world. This is not especially a character
istic Of democracies, however, for the Aus
uallan colonies, which are hardly less
democratic in their local government that
/ the United states, keep more holidays
than any other country in the world. Al
| the Important sporting events. whether
4 crlckeung or racing. are made the excuse
/ Tor general holiday. The usages as to
4 holidays legal and otherwise In the sew
/ eral states Of the union greatly vary.
/ Louisiana seems to have more holidays
| than any other state.
! It observes Jan. s. the anniversary OF
I the battle of New Orleans; Mard Gras.
on the eve of Lent; Feb. % Washington's
birthday; March T. 6remen's anniversary
Qh NeW Orleans); Good Friday, July =.
Labor day I'm November and not Septem-
Der, as IN most states; Christmas day
ana New Years day. Lees birth day,
Jan. 10, is a holiday in Georgia Mort
Carolina and Virginia. Llncolns birth
/ day. Feb. Y, is holiday in Illinois. Texas
makes Feb 2, the anniversary Of her in
dependence, a holiday. and also April 2
/ the anniversary OF the battle Of San ia
4 cinto. Alabama ana Georgia have a NJ G.
| mortal day, or Decoration day, on April
%, and North Carolina on May 10. North
Carolina also celebrates, ten days later,
the annVersary of the Mecklenberg Dee
laration of independence. Florida ceie-
( brates Jefferson Davis birthday, June
3. Utah keeps Pioneers day on July q.
/ California Keeps Admission day on Sept.
I 9 and Nevada on Oct. 81. South Carolini.
keeps not only Christmas day. but Dec.
/ Is and q, as well This, doubtless, is =
relic Of slavery times, when in many parts
1 oil. the south the negroes kept the whole
week between Christmas and New Years
I when little or no work Is done.
II was a sort Of truce Of God for the.
slave who for that week ived as free
man and made merry. Arbor' dav is o.
/ served in a constantly Increasing mum be,.
of states and the Saturday half-holiday
is gradually extending from state to state,
though il Is not strictly observed any
where.
Great Britain really has no public hoI-
iday that corresponds to the Fourth Of
July. There is no day when Britons Of
every political party and faction come
together and celebrate in hearty accord
a national event. Christmas Is not even
a legal holiday In England, though IT Is
in Scotland. 1T is, of course, celebrated
throughout the kingdom. but II was made
"a statutory holiday In Scotland, because
otherwise the strong Puritan spirit pre-
vailing there would have brought about
neglect Of the Observance In London
the Saturday half holiday is as much OBJ
served as Sunday. The Bank Holiday
act, passed At the instance Of Sir John
Lubbock in III made four legal holidays
Easter Monday, Whit Monday the first
Monday in August and Dec 26. In Scot
lad the legal holidays are New Years
day, the first Monday in May, the first
Monday in August, and Christmas day
Christmas day and Good Friday are holy
days, bit not legal holidays. in England.
ON these days all the theaters are COM
PEELED to close. This custom Is being
observed IN New York by some mana
gers New Years day is the great holt
day In Scotland. II is much more widely
observed than Christmas day, while New
Years day Is not observed at all in Eng
ld-fN- p,49 r. =" - lay Wy. %, T. kept
after fashion in England, but it Is not
a day that Catholics care to remember
since is recalls a time when they we're
! hated and suspected. The French OBJ
serve New Years day, Jour de Fan. in
great pOmp. The glory Of that day has
faded in New York, and New Years calls
are about extinct. except that in some of
the cid American quarters over on the
west side. in some Of the long ago FASH
ionahle streets, the day is still rerncm-
beged. The people keep open house egg
nog and Otnfr drinks are provided, and
there are callers all day long
The queens birthday. which is tot alIv
neglected IN Great Britain and Ireland, IS
observed with great enthusiasm in most OF
the colonies, especially Canada. IT is to
The colonial Briton a rallying day that
other IN the year. The Canadians also
have en- annual Thanksgiving day, gen
orally week earlier than ours.
ScOtehmcn OF all classes rally on St. An
dreW's day. and this SIS really very i'm
pOrtapt day 10 the English colonies for
ScCtChmen have in large part made the
colonies OF Great Britain and they are
strong, the world over. wherever the Brit
fish hag flies. 81. Andrews day Is ceie-
ia. in South Africa. IN Australia. "a
Canada ana iu a hundred iua.aniGcant ISL
ends and small settlements Burns BIRTH
day is another Scotch holiday, thougn.
of course not a iegal one. IL D. ccia-
lratfd VINO. over Scotrhf1cn are, and es-
peciaily ga this city. S.. patrick's day are
orange day ero familiar 20 all Torts o.
lf.e' mo rf1 found The welsh colchra 81
ST. uaFij'a day at home and abroad There
d q small Ma.sh c0iony Ia this city anc
q ftW churrhea, whore fhe pastors preach
De he WciFl tef nl'. Many English WORK
Htn Ipt D.itf ROOD tno Saturday half