Make a Difference: Plan to Celebrate Some Minor Holidays in 2017 (part 2)

This is the continuation of last week’s post on minor holidays.

July 30, The Feast Day of William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano, and Thomas Clarkson

I’m not sure when the Anglican Church chose to commemorate these three abolitionists, but they are included on its calendar of saints. You don’t have to be an Anglican or Episcopalian to celebrate their work. Here are some suggestions:

• Take the time to learn more about these men and the abolitionist movement in England.
• Watch Amazing Grace. Although, like pretty much all films based on history, it bends the truth to make a better movie, it will still teach you a lot about British efforts to abolish slavery.
• Educate yourself about slavery today and make a pledge to take an action to fight it — through refusing to buy certain products, through making a donation to an anti-trafficking organization, or through educating others about slavery.

August 4, National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

There’s very little I need to say. If you have time to bake a batch of cookies and deliver them to someone who would appreciate them, you can celebrate this day in a way that will make a difference in someone’s life.

September 4, Labor Day (United States)

Labor Day was originally established as a day to honor American laborers, but over time it has become a farewell to summer, full of picnics and sales. How do we celebrate in a way that makes a difference, especially when much of the work the day was intended to honor falls in the area of rapidly dwindling occupations? Here are some ideas:

• Resolve to show respect to all workers, no matter what their occupation. Whatever your own job may be, make it a point not to look at people in other occupations as less hard-working or capable or otherwise beneath you. If their job is necessary, then their labor is valuable.
• If you go someplace on Labor Day where tipping is allowed or encouraged (a restaurant, coffee shop, or spa, for instance), tip generously in recognition of an employee’s hard work.
• Support laws that allow all American workers to take paid time off. There are no laws that require American businesses to provide paid time off, including parental leave or sick time, much less vacation time. This hits people in poorly paid jobs the hardest.
• Consider buying locally made products more often to support the economy in your area.

October 4, The Feast of St. Francis

Francis of Assisi was known for embracing poverty and for treating all of creation as his family. Because of his love for animals, some churches hold a blessing of the animals around October 4. Whether or not you recognize him as a saint, you may want to choose to use his feast day to show your own love for animals.

• If you choose to eat meat and animal products, be willing to pay more to support more humane methods of farming. I know someone who is trying to get to the point where she can trace the meat she uses back to the very animal it came from; she has developed relationships with farmers that allow her to do this. You may also choose to limit your consumption of animal products.
• Look into what your local animal shelter can use and make a donation. Some shelters collect not only financial donations, which are of critical importance, but also items like old towels or empty toilet paper tubes.
• If you are looking for a pet, please consider adopting a homeless animal. Far too many pets are euthanized or languish in shelters, because they are unwanted. Also, make it a point to spay or neuter your pets to prevent adding to the number of homeless animals. Even if you could give all of your kittens away, I can promise you that there are a number of cats at your local shelter that need good homes.
• Take a walk and clean up trash. My child and I once borrowed a backpack from the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area office in St. Paul. Among its contents were a trash bag and a request to pick up trash along the river. We found a huge amount of fishing line that had just been thrown on the ground. Trash like that isn’t merely an eyesore, it’s dangerous to birds and other animals. Picking up trash can save an animal’s life.

November 24, Buy Nothing Day

I mentioned this “holiday” six weeks ago, but it is worth mentioning again, so you can decide well ahead of time whether or not you will celebrate it, particularly if Black Friday shopping is a tradition in your family and your decision not to participate could shock or upset some people. The point of Buy Nothing Day is to protest consumerism and a society built on pointless, wasteful, even harmful shopping. While some people use the day to engage in acts of protest at shopping malls, you can choose less radical ways to spend your day. REI encourages people to get outside for the day. If the weather where you are isn’t conducive to that, you might want to spend time with a loved one, baking, playing games, or watching a movie at home. The phrase “it’s not the presents, it’s your presence” isn’t just a cute saying.

December 26, Boxing Day

Boxing Day is celebrated in England and other countries that once belonged to the British Empire. It’s always the day after Christmas, but precisely what its origins are is rather fuzzy. It could now be described as a British Black Friday… except for the fact that England has adopted America’s Black Friday sales, so we’ll just say it’s a major shopping day with lots of sales.

Since one of the theories behind the origins of Boxing Day involves opening alms boxes for the poor, we could choose to celebrate December 26, no matter where we live, as a day on which to engage in charitable acts. Volunteer your time to prepare meals that will be shipped to starving children, give a donation to a nonprofit, or box up belongings you no longer use and donate them to a charity that will distribute them to others.

 

I’ve suggested only one minor holiday per month that you can use to make a difference in the world. An Internet search will produce at least one holiday for every day of the year. Your options for alternative celebrations are limited only by your creativity.