Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-02-08

important to know whether the bank
in that particular city will be open
that day. Does any one around the
place know whether January 8 is a
bank holiday in Picking or Athens or
Cape Town? Usually no one does.
It's hard enough to keep tabs on the
81 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
conine themselves largely to the
church fasts and festivals.
Where Holidays Are Thickest.
Contrary to the popular notion, the
new democracies of the west enjoy a
greater number of holidays than their
sister nations of the eastern hemi-
sphere. OF the 81 nations or depend
encies listed Brazil leads, with "a
holidays. The United States, with
54, 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 10 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 Is and Russia II.
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
country offer a particularly rich
field. If one knew the meaning of all
the half a hundred days celebrated in
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 a 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 a 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 J~acinto; the all but forgotten
Fast Day of New England, still sur
viving 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 2.
North Carolina commentaries the
Halifax independence resolutions on
ApfsI u and the Mecklenburg decla-
ration on May 20.
1t remains for Frederick county,
Nd, 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,