Whether it be Festivus, to Talk Like a Pirate Day, or Pi Day -TRN has you covered!
When you think of national holidays, you might think of Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve—but what about the little celebrations of everyday life?
The abundance of obscure national holidays offers endless chances to celebrate. There’s probably a national holiday occurring today!
There are no limitations to national holidays; they can be in celebration of events, foods, people, and interests.
One of these is Festivus–a non-religious holiday for those who want an alternative to Christmas.
This holiday was created by Daniel O’Keefe, father of Dan O’Keefe, a writer on the famed sitcom “Seinfeld.” It was popularized by the show but based on his authentic childhood experiences celebrating the holiday.
Daniel O’Keefe had created this holiday to escape the commercialization of the holiday season and to celebrate his first date with his then-wife, Deborah O’Keefe.
Every Dec. 23, observers of Festivus (as portrayed on “Seinfeld”) put up an unadorned aluminum pole in place of a decorated tree. Later they have dinner, where they participate in the “airing of grievances.” At this, people voice their various complaints, directing them to someone who has wronged them. Last comes the “feats of strength,” a wrestling match between the head of the house and another person of their choice.
One Roosevelt senior celebrates the holiday because, “I wanted to be different. … It’s a great way to show the true meaning of holidays.”
She added, “When you go to your family’s house on Thanksgiving, it’s quite literally this holiday,” and she thinks that we should “start calling Thanksgiving Festivus.”
Another holiday not widely known by people is World Pilots day, which is celebrated on April 26. Roosevelt junior Ian Tarrago celebrates this holiday because “It’s a chance for people to consider how much our lives are in the hands of pilots … And the fact that we should be grateful for them because they’re basically the ones under tremendous stress of flying.”
To celebrate, Tarrago said, “I mainly post on Instagram … Last year, I posted a picture of the flight deck that I visited, and a couple pilots were there.”
Other popular yet under-the-radar holidays celebrated by Roosevelt students include: “International Talk like a Pirate Day” (Sept. 19), “Boyfriend/Girlfriend Day” (Oct. 3 and Aug. 1), and “Pi Day” (March 14).
While these holidays may not corner the market, they’re a nice chance to ward off school stress and have some fun. Try one out–you might surprise yourself!
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