Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-02-24

important to know whether the bank in that particular city will be open that day. Does any one around the rlace know whether January 5 is a bank holiday in Picking or Athens or Cape Town? Usually no one does. It's hard enough to keep tabs on the 54 holidays rampant in these United States It therefore becomes neces- sary to send m expensive cablegram 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 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 lasts and festivals.
 Where Holidays Are Thickest.
 Contrary to the popular notion, the new democracies of the west enjoy q greater number of holidays than their sister nations of the eastern hemi- sphere Of the 97 nations or depend encies listed Brazil leads, with 84 holidays. The United States, with 54, is q 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 23. We had SUD- posed the Latins always outdid us in this particular. Among the other bel ligerents Germany, 1t Is presumed, will observe 20 days next year, Great
 Britain 16, Japan 15 and Russia IT.
 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 our own country offer a particularly rich field. If one knew the meaning of all the half hundred days celebrated in the United States, with the collateral events connected with each, he would be we'll versed in the nations history. One of the first surprises in store for such a student is to learn that the United States has no national holi- 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 a chance to win some bets from your | friends.
 America's Red Letter Days.
 American local holidays are rich in historical significance. Of such are the commemorations of Bunker Hill and Bennington and New Orleans and
 San Jacinto; the all but forgotten Fast Day of New England, still sur yiving in New Hampshire; Patriots Day in Maine and Old Defenders Day in Baltimore, Pioneer Day in Idaho
 and the various Admission Days pop
 ular with other Western states. Con-
 federate Memorial Day in the South,
 together with the birthdays of Lee
 and other heroes of the Confederacy. Two states have Independence Days
 of their own. Texas observes her sep aration from Mexico on March ?. North Carolina commemorates the I Halifax independence resolutions on April 12 and the Mecklenburg decla-
 ration on May 20
 | It remains for Frederick county, EMd., to celebrate all alone the repu- diation of the stamp act. one of the
 most local celebrations of an impor' tant national event on record !. .Amon. the fnrnl'ite rsnnteE for hnl-
 id;lys, fsp world over Nn -e'a''e' 'F7's,