Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1918-01-29

important to know whether the bank
in that particular city will be open
that day. Does any one around the
place know whether January is
bank holiday in Picking 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 neces-
sary to send an 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 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
confine themselves largely to the
church fasts and festivals
Where Holidays Are Thickest.
Contrary to the popular notions the
new democracies of the west enjoy
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
81, 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 10, Japan 10 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 our
own country offer a particularly rich
field If one knew the meaning of all
the half hundred days celebrated4n
the United States, with the collateral
events connected with each, he would
be well versed in the nations history.
| One of the first surprises in store
] for such student is to learn that the
| United States has no national holt
| 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 matter of Gus
tom only and not of law. Here is a
chance to win some bets from your
! friends.
Americas Red Letter Days.
American local holidays are rich in
historical significance. OF such are
! the concentrations of Bunker Hill
and Bennington and New Orleans and
San Jacinto; the all but forgotten
Fast Day of New England, still sur
! viving in New Hampshire: Patriots
Dav 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 2.
North Carolina commentaries the
Halifax independence resolutions on
April II and the Necklenburg decla.
| ration on May 20.
1t remains for Frederick county
Md. 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.
Among the favorite months for hol-
idays the world over November leads,