We love holidays, don't you?
By Daddy Neil
@neildc (17238)
Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
October 21, 2009 8:01pm CST
In every country, there are special non-working days. And most of these holidays has something to do with a celebration, like the birth or the death of a hero, the founding day or the charter day of the city or of the province. There are also holidays which has something to do with the birth or the death of a saint (for our brothers and sisters in the roman catholic church) or some other special things they do or have to celebrate (something like the start or end of the 40 day fasting-sacrifice of our muslim brothers and sisters).
In the Philippines, the incumbent president had declared some non-working holidays unexpectedly. She declared no work when the former president Aquino had laid in her final resting place. She also done it with the leader of the "Iglesia ni Cristo" (Church of Christ) when he died.
It was a no work day when Manny Pacquiao returned the country after his great fight with Ricky Hatton.
This president also ordered holidays, those regular non-working holidays that will land on weekends, to be moved in the nearest Monday. So by this, the Philippines have more long-weekends this year.
An example of this is our National Heroes Day that was originally celebrated every last Sunday of August, every year. And then it was moved to the following day, which is Monday.
Now what made me write this is about the Roman Catholic's celebration of the birth of Mother Mary on September 8. Why is it that her special day is not being celebrated as a non-working holiday? How come that the death of a religious leader and of a former state administrator and their burial is special? Why is it that a successful fight of a boxer is to celebrated by the whole country?
Please don't get me wrong, I am not against any political party or religion or race. It's just the thought of...
How special or important a particular holiday in your country?
5 people like this
14 responses
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
22 Oct 09
Hi neil, hope you enjoy all those extra long weekends. We have a national holiday day next Wednesay when everything will shut down for the day, well obviously not everything as people still need to drink coffee but most things. It is a day Greeks are proud of and it keeps the history alive and there will be big parades by all the schoolchildren wearing the national colours of Greece.
2 people like this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
oh i see. i guess that's something like our "Linggo ng Wika", the week-long celebration of the Filipino languages. these days, schools have to talk in local languages and they are forbidden to talk in english. there are also programs, declamation contests, etc. and they wear the local costumes. in some point of the present administration, the week-long celebration is now a month-long, so August every year is our "Buwan ng Wika".
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
it seems that day is really special for the entire Greek people out there. and it's going to be a lot of fun and celebration. only school children should wear the national colours? how about the oldies, the adults, like my friend thea? are you going to celebrate with the kids? 
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
22 Oct 09
I'll be there watching but adults aren't obliged to wear blue and white as it might distract from the children. It's not the fun and games type thing though, it is serious talk and long Greek poems, all quite emotional really. I'll do a disc next week if I ever catch up.
@SomeCowgirl (32189)
• United States
22 Oct 09
My thoughts on this are that maybe the holiday of the birth of Mother Mary was overlooked by accident with all of the changes of holiday's for this year in The Phillippines. I am not sure why one would skip over a holiday unless they do not feel it should be celebrated with grandeur or they themselves do not agree to it. As for holiday's in the USa I pay no mind to but a few which is Halloween, Thanskgiving, Christmas and The Fourth Of July. Labor Day and Memorial Day were paid attention to when I was in school, but I no longer pay attention to it. The day the towers fell here in the USA is remembered by me, and though I do not celebrate, I do acknowledge that the USA shook violently that day and so much innocence was lost.
2 people like this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
speaking for the catholic people (though i am not one), i would just feel a little jealous considering mother mary is jesus' mother, while a religious leader is of the other belief and so as the muslims, and the president, where she really stands? i know she's catholic too, so i suppose, mary's birth is also special to her.
2 people like this
@SomeCowgirl (32189)
• United States
22 Oct 09
I was wondering if I had assumed correctly and that your discussion was entailing the president to me Catholic. I do wonder then why she did not choose to celebrate this particular day unless she does not believe in Mary? I am not quite sure. I am not knowledgeable in the catholic religion though if I understand correctly they believe in saints.
2 people like this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
i also wonder if she really is. i know she attends masses as i can see her in some tv reports. she's so attached to the bishop, religious leaders like of the church of christ, and she shows she loves the muslim people. but how come she never had special attention to Mary? it's just a thought anyway, and to remind you, i am not a catholic too, though i was born with catholic family and grew-up as one.
@ckyera (17331)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
hello neil!
i think all of us loves holiday...hehe coz this is the time that we can have our rest or just relax & go out with our family...and to some its a double pay day, right?
i also noticed the way how our president move those days to give people a long week end vacation... and those special holidays that she declared...that for sure she have her reasons...
with regards to Mary's birthday, i believe that there are some places who have their holiday for this day...those places that celebrates fiesta...just like what they do with their other patron saints...
1 person likes this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
well, i am not really interested, lol. it's up to them if they want to make it one, hehehe.
@Ingkingderders (3831)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
You know what, I have been asking the same question for years now.. I have no idea why Mama Mary's birthday is not a holiday. I mean, it has all the right reason why it should be declared as such right?
anyway, yep, we love holidays here in our country.. and sometimes I do think that it's too much already ( though of course, i'm not gonna really go out and complain about it.. hahaha. who doesn't want to have an extra day off from work or school?!)
1 person likes this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
yeah, yo're right, even if i am not a catholic, i can also see that Mary has all the rights to be remembered more than just like that. i also believe we already much of holidays and the regular holidays alone are just enough. one thing i don't like holidays? i think about my co-workers and the others that are not regular employees, where they receive no pay if they do not work, as in no-work no-pay.
@Ingkingderders (3831)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
yeah, I guess you're right..It doesn't really work for those people who earn day to day, and who only earn when they go to work....
@doryvien (2284)
• United States
22 Oct 09
Hi Neil,
I love holidays, it gives me more time to bond with my family. But this last month my place was greatly affected by 2 typhoons, the kids have been on a "holiday" for quite a long time - a straight 3 weeks vacation from school because their school(in Pasig) was still flooded 3 weeks after the Ondoy and Peping's wrath. It's only this week that they've started going back to school, and I've just received the new class schedule, they have Saturday classes and each period was extended for 15 minutes, hence longer school hours. Now with the announcement of 2 long weekends due to holidays I wonder how it's gonna affect my kids' class schedule again? These unforseen holidays now come to me as more of a burden to students(and parents) as they would need to make up for the time eaten up by these recently announced holidays.
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
who really don't love holidays? but if our kids' schooling will be affected, then why should there be? i am sorry to hear that you too are affected by the typhoons. and i pity the shool kids there, as they are one of those greatly affected.
1 person likes this
@jaiho2009 (39140)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
Hello Neil,
Good day my friend,i haven't seen you for days here.
You had a keen observation dear.
First,i would like to say i am not also against any religion or beliefs/faiths.
But,if the president would give each religion "a day" as an official holiday for each religion to be celebrated or to be observed,...i guess,the 360 days of the whole year would be a holiday
.
uhmnn...i just hope the president would give fair treatment to all(religious sect)
.
uhmnn...i just hope the president would give fair treatment to all(religious sect)1 person likes this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
ho jaiho, i am always here. it's just that i can get online, all the time. remember the problem we had here, regarding our internet connection? 
in fairness, even the smallest municipality have their own holidays. there are also those cities and provinces that they have declared a non-working holidays their charter day or founding day. but fairness is ok, but with no hidden agenda. 
in fairness, even the smallest municipality have their own holidays. there are also those cities and provinces that they have declared a non-working holidays their charter day or founding day. but fairness is ok, but with no hidden agenda. @jaiho2009 (39140)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
hidden agenda ?
...
do you think so my dear...if so..then i guess we are of the same both(hahaha)
...
do you think so my dear...if so..then i guess we are of the same both(hahaha)
@flagella08 (5065)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
i guess some believe that these saints seem not to be virtual essential already in their lives. others only believe people or heroes that they have met known n their lifetime while all of us in our generation never had met mary.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
22 Oct 09
hi neildc I am here in the US, in California to be exact. to me the fourth of July is one of the most important holidays as we celebrate the founding of our country and our pride at being a free country, then of course there is Halloween which is sort of silly but the kids love to go trick or treating, and also Thanksgiving which to me means we should always give thanks but a special day to remind us to be thankful for what we have is a great reminder in the right direction. then to Martin Luther King day which I feel more Americans should really observe as he did so much to gain much more freedom for our black brothers here. then Christmas which is supposed to celebrate Christ's birth but a lot of people seem to think its only to pay homage to Santa Claus which is so wrong to me. oh sure I love getting gifts but really it is about Christ. I think you are right Mary mother of Christ should hAve a special non working holiday. right on.
1 person likes this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
thanks, my dear patsie. but you know what, i though that your Thanksgiving is also the Christmas Day. and when do you celebrate thanksgiving?
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
22 Oct 09
I take my holidays when I'm most likely to enjoy them and that is around the Christmas season. In Trinidad we do not have holidays as you described. The national holidays celebrate something in our history that has meaning for a lot of people. Just declaring holidays is not something that is done here in Trinidad.
1 person likes this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
23 Oct 09
but in our country, there are lots of people in the government that if they only got power and authorities, they will declare not so important occassions into holidays. there is the president, the senators, the congressmen, and even the governors and mayors. lol
@zhangfzoe (432)
• China
22 Oct 09
I love the national holiday and the spring festivals. They are the longest holidays in our country.
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
i was wondering what is this Spring Festival as one of the responders here said he also love the most, is this holiday. so i searched for it and i landed to wiki at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year.
and i came to know that this is the same as the Chinese New Year. am i right, zhangfzoe?
@murtuza89 (513)
• India
22 Oct 09
I just hate holidays!
I like to be with my friends, I am a totally non-homesick person. I dont like to be at home all the time.
I take all the possible opportunities to get away from my home and go wander with my friends. I go for outings, picnics, or just roam around in a locality with my friends.
But I cant bear it if its a holiday! I have to be at home all day doing nothing.
happy mylotting!
1 person likes this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
I have to be at home all day doing nothing? so where do you have to be to do mylot? if it's holiday and if i have internet at home, then it's time for me to mylot, all day long.
@murtuza89 (513)
• India
23 Oct 09
I use my College computer to access MyLot. I dont have Internet connection at my home. So I dont have anything to do at home. So I dont like to have holidays.
Happy mylotting!
@lindiebiz (1006)
• Canada
22 Oct 09
Your president is has holiday thing going on holidays are supposed to be significant event in a nation or a religious or political event. if the holiday falls on a sunday its all good there is no reason moving on til monday but again i think she loves holidays i dont see why Marys birthday should be a holiday afterall we have Christmas and easter to celebrate Jesus whos coming was necessary for mankind as a say at home person holidays dont make much of a difference in fact those are my most streeful days with the kids being at home.
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
i only thought about Mary, since the catholic church praises Mary a lot, as she is the mother of the Christ. i also believe that a holiday has a significant event, but i can not understand the holidays which falls on a weekend should be moved to. naaah, this president really loves vacation, too much. 
@hankerChinese (205)
• China
22 Oct 09
I love both the normal weekends and special festival holidays . On these days,I'll be far away with my work. Maybe I can have a nice trip. Or I can spend more time stay with my parents. Of these holidays I like the Spring Festival most,since it is the most festive all through the year.And it always turns out new scence to us.
1 person likes this
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
so when do you usually celebrate Spring Festival? does it have an exact date or what? how do you celebrate this or what are the happenings when it's Spring Festival?
@Hazelrose (2179)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
Yes i do! i love holidays because it is my time to relax or to do something that i want to.I am here in the philipphines so any holiday is okay for me. Good day!
@neildc (17238)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Oct 09
hahaha, you really love holidays, right? though i also love more holidays, the only concern i have is that, is it really worth to celebrate? one holiday that i can't help but think about is the National Heroes Day which is one the last Sunday of August. so where is the logic there?
