I find this interesting - what do other countries find important enough to give a holiday for?
Here in the US of A the individual states zealously guard their holidays. Massachusetts still celebrates Bunker Hill Day which fortituously falls on Saint Patrick's Day (March 17) and for years New Hampshire observed Fast Day, intended as a day of prayer and fasting, but which turned into a day off work for all state workers, banks, etc. Most New Hampshire folk went to Boston for shopping and in that state it was nicknamed "Farmer's Day" because of the influx of NH farmers into the Big City. The holiday has been abandoned for a number of years.
May First is Lei Day in Hawaii and everyone wears and exchanges beautiful lei. There is a lei competition at Kapiolani Park with amazing examples of lei. Then, in June, there's Kamehameha Day to honor the King who united the Islands. It is a festive day and each year a group is chosen to decorate the King's statue with lei ... the chosen group gathers the flowers and makes the HUGE lei to adorn the statue, the Fire Department provides assistance in getting the lei around the King's neck. Perhaps some of you have seen a post card of the lei-draped King Kamehameha statue, it's quite famous. There is also hula dancing, singing and general merriment at the statue and similar festive events throughout the islands.
P.S. "lei" is not the word in the Pass The Parcel game. I am not a player, merely one of the cheering section.
Aloha, wow
