deferred celebration

   My granddaughters birthday is tomorrow. She is in college now and so will not be home for the occasion. I'll see her over the weekend and celebrate then. And that is what inspired this morning musings. When you were growing up how important was it to celebrate the occasion/holiday on the actual day? What I'm thinking about was having your birthday party or whatever, but scheduling it for a more convenient day. The federal government did that in 1968 with the Uniform holiday act. It is interesting to read what President Johnson had to say about all the benefits to doing that. All in all he was saying it would be more convenient for everyone. This change was pushed by lobbyists for the retail industry. It's better for business. Sentiment takes a back seat to profits. Also the reason I am seeing Christmas wreaths for sale at the Walmart today, next to Pilgrims, Witches and Scarecrows. 

 I was remembering how it was when I was a kid. Now I only had one birthday party where others, outside of my immediate family, were invited. That happened when I was sixteen, orchestrated by my sister. I can not honestly say if that took place on my actual birth date or not. It was, after all, a long time ago. I'm just remembering that every birthday when I was at home Mom made a cake, we had ice cream, and that was the celebration. It happened no matter the day of the week. The thing was, at least for an hour or so, I was the center of attention, it was my day, my time. It was my birthday! So, for whatever time it was, everything else stopped. Mom wasn't busy, Dad wasn't too busy, my brothers and sisters were there. That's the way it worked. It was special.

 I also remember when a holiday was celebrated on the holiday. Didn't make any difference what day of the week it was on. If it was a Federal holiday you got the day off. Now I admit I was a little young and not working full time in 1969, the first year the holidays were actually moved around or clumped together, but I do remember holidays being on a Wednesday. Of course I remember when stores were closed on holidays too. But the holiday was the holiday, not a scheduled event. I guess that is what I'm trying to say. It just seems like everything today is becoming a scheduled event. Yes I know the dates of birthdays and holidays, with a few exceptions, haven't changed but the scheduling appears to have. Holidays are on a Monday or a Friday, for the most part. Your birthday remains that day but celebrating that may be before or after, whenever it is convenient. 

 Does that make a difference to you? I've certainly grown accustomed to that but remain aware. Maybe that is nothing more than having something to complain about, or point out how much better it was in the past. We all have a tendency to do that, things were almost always better in the past. The soda tasted better, the cake was better, the weather was better and people were kinder. I do think we should have just left things alone. I believe we should celebrate/remember the day on the day. Deferred celebration doesn't seem as exciting to me. When I'm planning ahead for that it just takes some of the excitement out of it. All holidays are Anniversaries. It's my thinking they should all be treated in that fashion. I'm just saying if I told my wife we will celebrate our anniversary at a more convenient time it may not go over well. No, I didn't forget, it's just that it isn't convenient for me today, Friday is good though. 

 I just think the stopping of everything else to observe an occasion or event in history adds to making that special. It's like a Sunday. When I was young stores weren't open on a Sunday. Maybe the corner Deli, but certainly no supermarkets or retail stores. Where I lived you couldn't buy a beer until after one in the afternoon on Sunday. Sunday was a special day, at least the first half was. But today it is just another day of the week , like all others, business as usual. Won't be long, if it hasn't already taken place, that Christmas day will be like that. I suspect that if it weren't for the retail aspect of that holiday it would have been relocated as well. 

 So what do you think? Schedule celebrations for convenience, or celebrate on the day?