Holidays Past & Future

This year's Easter lily overlooks the Nashua River

RI Grands, Bobby & Ellie, and mom Shannon

We (Grenville and myself) hope that all of you enjoyed any religious observance you may have recently celebrated or continue to observe this month. My previous post made mention of the three major ones this month, a rare occurrence.

The Easter holiday and observances surrounding it are over. We broke with tradition and didn't color eggs with the RI grands this year. Their mom is working on an MBA degree and has a research project deadline. We connected via phone and this photo they sent to us.

Passover will end this coming weekend on Saturday, April 23. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan will end a week later on May 1. It may be many years until these major religious holidays coincide again as the last time was in 1991.

Since my mind always wanders and, for no reason, I thought about theremaining major 2022 holidays. There's no holiday shortage in the U.S. for the next 8 months. While this post most likely misses a few, especially state and regional ones, there's enough widely celebrated ones. Some months will have multiple celebratory days, like next month when there's two coming up. Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of the month, May 8. While it's celebrated on different days worldwide, the most common months are March and May and the holiday is a boon for florists as well. The month ends with the observance of Memorial Day on May 30. The date of this federal holiday changes annually, but it's always observed on the last Monday of May to honor men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. 

In June, dads get their day on the 19th, the third Sunday of the month. Two days later, June 21, marks the official, astronomical beginning of summer. Many meteorologists consider the summer months to be June, July, and August and many would agree as well.

July 4 is considered the birth of American independence and it's the major summer holiday with festivities including fireworks, parades, concerts and barbecues. Since it's falls on a Monday in 2022, that means a 3-day holiday weekend for many. (The Congress had voted on independence on July 2, 1776, but it was not declared until July 4.) 

Labor Day is the holiday associated with the end of summer and it's on Monday, September 5. This federal holiday, celebrated on the first Monday in September, pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. Created by the labor movement in the late 19th century, it became a federal holiday in 1894.

Halloween, while not an official holiday, is observed on the last day of October and is known by various names, such as Halloween or Hallowe'en, less commonly as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve. The date is observed in many countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day.

Veterans Day (not Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day) is on Friday,  November 11 and notes the end of WW I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The holiday honors and celebrates the service of U.S. military veterans.

Again it's a double celebration month as Thanksgiving is celebrated on November 24, the last Thursday of the month. It's followed barely a month later by Christmas on Sunday, Dec 25. The weekend occurrence means the public holiday is Dec 26, the Boxing Day holiday in Great Britain and several Commonwealth countries: Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Years ago, servants or trades people had to wait on their masters on Christmas and could visit their families after the holiday. Employers would give them boxes with gifts or leftover food. Similar to what happens here, it's become one of busiest days to return holiday gifts to stores.

New Year’s Eve on Saturday, December 31 is the final day of 2022 when many reflect over the past year and/or look forward to the next one. 

So, mark your calendars for these remaining 2022 holidays and celebrations. It seems to me that this year is moving along faster every day. At times, it seems like January 1 was not so long ago and maybe it seems the same to you as well.

Our great niece, Autumn, not only went on an egg hunt in NJ, but also met the Easter Bunny who made a stop at the home of her grandparents (my brother and his wife).

Early today, and very surprisingly, these after Easter treats were left outside our apt door. We don't know who left them, but they were appreciated by the chocoholics who live here. The surprise treats were acknowledged with a thank you note left in their place. 

These will be enjoyed too—ears 🐰 first, of course. 

Did you get any treats?

We bought peanut butter eggs this year.