New Holidays

The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday is our most recent calendar addition. It was added in 1983, although it was fought for a decade to follow in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and, of course, Arizona.

It leads to further questions about the holidays we have and those we need. "Holiday" is a contraction of "holy day," in other words, they are days set aside by a culture to celebrate the values and virtues it most cherishes. On these grounds, which current holidays should go, what new holidays should be added, and which current holidays need re-interpreting?