PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

Happy American Independence Day to all our colleagues/co-workers in the USA.

BBQs and fireworks and friends = good day!

Mine was a quiet day all around, very nice.

But was joking with hubby and a friend that this week feels like Monday, Friday, Sunday, Monday, Friday. :D

MsMarieh... my thoughts exactly this morning!!!  As I got ready for work, I was dreading this "Monday" and wondering where the weekend went so fast and trying to remember what we discussed at church just "yesterday morning"....  Sheesh!  Must be my old age catching up. :)  Gotta run faster to stay ahead of it!  :D

Is the holiday always on 4 July no matter what day of the week it falls on?

Jackie... yes, this is one holiday that is ALWAYS on July 4th, no matter what day of the week it is, because it is the birthday of our nation.  It's a happy celebration, that is celebrated with friends and family in a variety of ways, but almost all of them include fireworks in some form or another.  In the US, we don't normally use fireworks any other time of the year, though in some areas they do shoot them off for New Years... and I think there is one other holiday that folks may use fireworks during, but I'm not sure off the top of my head.  Growing up in SD, we didn't use them anytime except the 4th, since New Years is butt-cold (technical term! :) ) and no one wants to be outside shooting off fireworks bundled up like that.  Since it is generally the only holiday celebrated with these bangs and booms and brilliant colors, we do it up right nice no matter what day of the week it is.

I was up till 11pm last night shooting off fireworks.  My boys and I are dragging today, but we had a blast (literally!) last night and don't mind so much today.  :D

Well actually, yes and no on that countrigal. It's always known as the "fourth" regardless of what day businesses are closed.

However, when it falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, it's not uncommon for companies to move the actual day off to the Monday or Friday. :)

But generally speaking, yes, it's always the Fourth of July.

Funny, last night hubby and I were reading the history of the Yankee Doodle Dandy song, which started as a mocking song sung by the British during Revolutionary War days, making fun of the Americans as essentially being redneck fools who thought sticking a feather in their cap made them fashionable. The Americans embraced it as their own following some of the battles. Quite a humorous background for reading actually. :)

MsMarieh... that's interesting to hear.  None of the companies that I've worked at, or that my parents have, have ever had any day but the 4th off (but that is really a limited number of places, and locations!).  Interesting to hear that in some areas they give you a different day off.  Learn something new every day!   8)  I had never heard of that before, but I can kind of see how the companies would see it as a smarter way to give the Monday or Friday off, as folks would be more likely to take that as a leave day anyway.  Hmmmm.... interesting facts learned here.

I guess it also is how you read the post.  I didn't read the "holiday" as a day off, but as the holiday day itself.  Guess that teaches me that my understanding of a question/post isn't always what others read/see.  I don't normally associate "holiday" with day off, as there are a number of holidays that we do not get off, but they are still holidays.  :)  Live and learn... makes life more fun!  :)

Had heard about the Yankee Doodle Dandee song, but would love to read up on it...  gonna have to go do some research now.

I probably did mean holiday/day off.  There is a move in Scotland to have St Andrew's Day (30 November) made a public holiday.  Interestingly the civil service (government officials) take it, as the nearest Monday to the date, so it's not always the date itself that's the holiday.  If it ever becomes a public holiday (I think if Scotland gets independence it will!) I should think it will be the actual date - no point otherwise, I guess.

But throughout the UK, there is no public holiday on St David's Day (1 March), St George's Day (23 April) and St Patrick's Day (17 March) - not sure why.  But interestingly, of all of these, St Pat's is the best known holiday both here and in the US!  I just don't get that how that happened but all of a sudden we had shamrocks and everything green, especially this year!

OK I admit I checked one of the dates - I had the date right, but not the month!

I loved the story of Yankee Doodle Dandy and it rings a faint bell somewhere in my memory so I'd maybe heard that before, but it's always good to hear how things started and why they become the traditions that we just do /say without maybe realising what the significance is.

As for fireworks, it seems nowadays people just let off fireworks any old time.  There is now a law that if they go off at 11 pm (without a licence) then it's illegal but I think a lot of folk ignore that.  As for Hogmanay (31 December / New Year's eve), there are fireworks all over the place and Edinburgh's street party is now world famous for its fireworks.  Never mind the cold! Cutbacks this year meant there were no fireworks on the hill where I live (Edinburgh's built on 7 hills like Rome) - I always told folk I had my own firework display - the house actually shook when they went off as they were so big and loud!

Actually in thinking about it, I was wrong in saying that. It's actually more that they add a floater to make it a four day weekend. You're right - they don't make people work on the 4th (except for 24/7 places like police/fire of course). I had started writing that post with one thought in mind and midway through switched to another and didn't write it correctly. LOL ROFL

:D  :D

Aren't we all just a bunch!?!  :D  None of us really sure what we were saying or answering.  Love it.  :D

Jackie, having my house shaken by fireworks sounds a bit intense.  Bet they are great to watch that close!  As for the holidays that  you mentioned, only New Years Eve (Hogmanay?  Any story/history/meaning behind that name?) and St. Patty's day are celebrated as such here.  St. Patty's day even I'm not sure how we came to celebrate it so uniformly across the nation.  Of course, we do not have it as a "holiday" (ie: day off) as a whole.  Some companies or cities might give this as a day off, but for the most part, it's a holiday but one we all work through.

I find it very interesting to discuss holidays (be they the day off kind or just a celebratory day) from around the world.  It makes sense that St. Patrick's Day comes from the UK, but why do we celebrate it in the US?  What other holidays are celebrated around the world and which ones have migrated their way into the US, if only in certain areas?  And have any of those holidays from the US made the migration to other countries?  Things that make you go "hmmmmmmmm".  :D

I think Halloween is sneaking out of the Americas gradually, usually starting around US military bases overseas. :)

I would suspect the immigrants brought many holidays with them.