Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-14
OF WORLDWIDE INTEREST
AMERICAN HOLIDAYS
BY FREDERIC j. HAskIN

British under General Ross and Ad-
miral Cockburn failed in their attacks
on Baltimore, both by land and by
sea. that city celebrates with due pride
September 12 IS Defenders day." 1t
was this defense of the city that in
spired Francis Scott Key to write the
national hymn, for with the dawn of
morning light there was still seen the
sts.r-spangled banner, proudly waving
in the breeze, solace to the be-
leaguered city. and an inspiration for
all the years to follow.
On the twenty-fourth day OF July,
1S47, a caravan of Mormon people,
after long and wearying journey,
paused on the mountain crest over
looking a great valley, and its SHIN
nering salt sea with ever-receding
shores. A sick man pushed aside the
flap of his wagon. looked on the scene
and announced that this was the prom
fsed land for which they sought. His
people thought of the weary march
behind them, and saw little of promise
on the desert floor before them. But
the sick man saw beyond the dreary
waste. He saw irrigation projects,
stone temples, great cities fertile farm
lands, and thousands of homes in that
valley. The caraval descended, the
things came about as the man knew
they would, and because of this great
"
people of Utah celebrate July "a as
pioneers day"
The decor ton of the graves of the
soldier In America is of southern or
igin. the women of Georgia and Ala
patna beginning the work as early as
1866 Other states took UP the pretty
idea in both the north and the south,
ana now there are two legal holidays in
some of the states, for where serti-
ment was divided In the sixties there
Is decoration day for the Union dead
and memorial day for the Confeder-
ate dead. For the Union celebration
May 80 is the one and only day. This
w1s formerly sout. ern date, then be-
came the choice of the Grand Army of
the Republic, but 1t was not until May
5, 1858, that the day was fixed by official
order. On that day General Orders
No. IL" was issued, over the name of
John A. Logan, commander in chief of
the G. A. r., naminP May 20 as Deco
ration Day, with the hope that 1t will
be kept up from year to year, while a
survivor remains to honor the memory
of his departed comrades"
Memorial day varies in the south
with the blooming of the flowers. April
26 is observed in four states. May 10 in
two, May 80 in one, and Ju..e in sew
eral others. There is a general move
ment to have June 3, the birthday OF
Jefferson Davis, set aside by all south
ern states as Memorial day. Not long
ago writer offered special plea that
the two decoration days be united in
one and observed as "Union Day" 1t
was such a fraternal feeling as this
that caused the women of Columbus,
Mississippi, to garland the graves of
the Union as we'll as the Confederate
one year, and so inspire that beautiful
poem. THE Blue and the Gray"
There are only four days in the call
endars Of the nation and the states
that are set aside because. they are
| birthdays of great men. washington,
Lee, Lincoln and jefferson Davis are
so honored. The observance of Wash
! ingtons birthday is general and runs
the gamut of varied observance. from
the careful reading of his Farewell
Address in congress and the biennial
| procession through the streets of his
! toric Alexandria, Virginia, to gay par
| ties where ices masquerade as cherry
| trees and hatchets. 1t is legal holiday
| in all states and territories except Miss
| issippi Seven southern states recog-
nize Lees birthday as holiday: four
teen northern and western pay like
! tribute to Lincoln, and nine southern
states set aside Davis birthday. Re-
Gently Los Angeles set aside as Arbor
day the birthday of the wizard of the
plant world, Luther. Burbank.
Aside from the observance of Christ
mas, the church calendar days on the
holiday calendar are few. Shrove Tues
day is a holiday in the state of Ala
bama and in the parish of Orleans IN
Louisiana Good Frida-' is legal holt
day i'm nine states, while All Saints
day, November 1. is a Louisiana holt
day. 1t is on All Saints day. that this
southern city Witnesses the decoration
of the vaults In old st. Louis, the most
aristocratic of all American cemeteries,
for they who lie there were known TO
high estate in the old days of history.
Election day in different states, Arbor
day in twenty-six, and Labor day IN
| the states and territories except North
Dakota, are considered legal holidays
Even as special days in the churcn
| calendar for many centuries nave
proved a stimulus to religious fervor,
SO national holidays prove stimulus
to enlightened patriotism. Says George
Eliot: mo nation has ever become
great without HOLIDAYS and professions
| 5ad;catad 70 the noble