The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-02-28

/ important 10 KNOW whether llle Ddllk
in that particular city will be open
that day. Does any one around the
PLACE know whether January . is Il
bank holiday in Peling or Athens or
Cape Town? Usually no one does.
It's hard enough to keep tabs on the
"a holidays rampant in these United
States. 1t therefore becomes neccs-
eary to send an expensive cablcgram
to get the information. This sort of
thing happens not once, but many
times, in every banking house with
an extensive foreign business
Among the holidays established by
custom the occasion is generally the
anniversary of an important political
event or the birthday of a national
hero. Such holidays are therefore To-
cal, while church holidays are for the
most part general. The former class
/ prevails in the newer and more dem
ocratic countries, while the older ones
contine themselves largely to the
church fasts and festivals.
Where Holidays Are Thickest.
Contrary TO the popular notion, the
new demOcracieS of the west enjoy Il
greater number Of holidays than their
sister nations of the eastern hemi-
sphere. OF the 81 nations or depend
encies listed Brazil leads, with 81
holidays The United States, with
"a, is a close second, although she,
unlike Brazil, practically ignores the
church days. Another popular delu-
sion is shattered when we find that
France has only IS formally observed
days and Italy only %. We had sup
! posed the Latins always Outdid us in
this particular. Among the other bel.
ligerents Germany, it is presumed
= will observe 20 days next year, Great
! Britain 16, Japan - and Russia Il
In most of these countries numerous
= local holidays ordinarily observed
: have been abandoned during the war.
/ The study of holidays is fascinat
. ing to the historian. Those of Oul
- own country offer Il particularly rich
+ field. If one knew the meaning of all
the half hundred days celebrated in
= the United States, with the collateral
f events connected with each, he wOulC
= be well versed in the nations history.
cone of the first surprises in store
, for such student is to learn that the
: United States has no national hOli
f day The reader will at once think
+ of Fourth of July and of the Presi
: dents Thanksgiving proclamation
/, But not even these are national. Acts
+ of. Congress and Presidents pro
= nOunCements in this respect apply
: only to the District of Columbia and
the territories. The states usually
: follow suit but as a matter of Gus
, tom only and not of law. Here is q
: chance to win some bets from yOul
5 friends.
/ Americas Red Letter Days.
t. American local holidays are rich in
: historical significance. OF such are
A the commemoratiOns of Bunker Hill
and Bennington and New Orleans anC
/ San Jacint0; the all but forgotten
i Fast Day of New England, still sur
: viving in New Hampshire; Patriots
o Day in Maine and Old Defenders Day
e in Baltimore, Pioneer Day in Idaho
i and the various Admission Days pop
: ular with other Western states. Con
r federate Memorial Day in the South
:, together with the birthdays of Lee
e and other heroes of the COnfederacy.
i Two states have Independence Days
Il of their own. Texas observes her sep
II aratiOn from Mexico on March
It North Carolina commentaries tn,
= Halifax independence resolutions OF
: April T. and the Mccklcnburg dccla
n ration on May 20
k 1t remains for Frederick county
= Md. to celebrate all alone the repu
diation of the stamp act, one of thu
most local celebrations of an impor
II tant national event on record.
IS Among the favorite months for hol
IS idayj the world over November leads