I don’t celebrate holidays, but I was surprised to find out that this year the Orthodox Easter happened on the same day as the Western Easter. I don’t think it’s ever done that in my lifetime, not that I can remember at least.
“…bestow…money for whatever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or whatsoever thy soul desirith: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord, thy God…” (Deuteronomy 14)
“There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” (Eccles 3)
“Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing…to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee…” (Psalm 30)
Since you’ve asked…it has to do with an ancient Quaker belief that every day is as holy as the next. The very term “holiday,” which we use to cover Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and all the rest, comes from the term “holy day,” and traditionally Quakers have refrained from celebrating any holy days on the principle that every day should be lived as deliberately, as holily as all the others. I know it’s an idealistic position, but I’ve adopted the practice in the last year and a half or so and I find it liberating, really.
To give up all the chocolate bunnies and pine trees, turkeys, birthday cakes and jack-o-lanterns is an amazing feeling.
I can take or leave the turkey and chocolate, but I just cannot imagine not celebrating Administrative Professionals’ Day (observed on the third or fourth Wednesday of April, April 25 this year). Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around this holiday. Mom used to help us make garlands of paper clips, which we then strung around the coat rack, and we all looked forward to going through the neighborhood singing Secretary carols and staying up until midnight the Tuesday before (Administrative Professionals’ Day Eve) and going to late mass and then coming home to open our presents.
On AP Day itself, we got up early and had the traditional Administrative Professional breakfast (poptart, yogurt and coffee), then we would fart around with meaningless paperwork until lunch, when we would go to the buffet at the Holiday Inn. When we got home, dad would loosen his pants and say to mom “Who’s your administrative daddy?” and they would send us kids out into the yard for an hour to draw in the dirt.
How someone today can deny those warm, precious memories to their kids, I cannot fathom. You just can’t buy memories like that anymore.
Strange. I just glanced at my calendar this morning and noticed that there was such a thing as Administrative Professionals Day. Now a few hours later I have a full description of what that day entails. Such a shame it has the (USA) prefix beside it on the calendar, how I’d love to join in the APD frivolity.