Parents upset after CT schools cancel Halloween

[Mama Mia]

I think this comment from a former coworker sums up the US: "You're in OUR country, you have to celebrate OUR holidays."

I really don't think it's fair to say you can sum up the US by that attitude. Maybe certain areas, and certainly a few individuals in any area. But, even just looking at FJ there are a significant number of posters from the South and other very conservative areas, and obviously they don't feel that way, and I'm sure there are a significant number of their neighbors who also disagree with that belief.

My kids, at least a decade+ ago, learned about various cultures in school partly by learning about and celebrating in some way a large range of holidays. . Ones I remember them learning about and doing some sort of activity around include:( and I'm sure there were more, it was awhile ago) include Diwali - The Festival of Lights, Rosh Hashanah, Chinese New Year ( REALLY big in my general area, but not in my town) , Dios de Los Muertos - Day of The Dead, the Festival of Floating Bowls -which is Bhuddist and celebrated in Thailand, as well as Halloween Valentines Day and the Winter smush together of Christmas /Hanukkah/Kwanza/Winter Solctice.

eta: I noticed that I didn't include any Muslim celebrations. That's because I don't recall what they did, but I am 100% certain that if they include holidays of major world religions they would include Muslim holidays as well. If only I'd known it would come up in random Internet conversations years later I would of taken notes :D

Those are just the ones where I either remember the name of a holiday they taklked about, or a celebration/activity they did and looked up the name and religion/culture it represents. I'm sure there's a lot more. And it's not like it took tons of time. It seemed like they just worked relevant activities into art or music or social studies or language arts at the appropriate time. Some teachers, of course, did this more than others.

It's actually one of the things that really bugs me about all the recent emphasis on testing -- I think kids gain a much broader knowledge of the world, and respect for other people who live differently from them, if there's flexibility for teachers to include these kind of things. And I think there has been a big drop in that ability over the past dozen years . Anyway, that's a rant for a different thread. :lol:

I'd be greatly exaggerating if I said it was all equally celebrated - Halloween, Valentines Day and Christmas were always a thing, while the others varied. But certainly there wasn't some notion of the only holidays that should be celebrated or acknowledged were the traditional Christian ones.

Hmm...now that I think of it, the one holiday I don't think they ever did any activities around at school was Easter.

[myusername]

In some states, retail (and some other) hourly workers are required to be paid time and a half on some federal holidays (like New Year's Day & Columbus Day), and in some states on all Sundays as well. It's also why retailers in some states cannot be open at all on Thanksgiving, despite the new trend to open early for Black Friday in the US. So your statement isn't crossing a line, but it is incorrect. There are exceptions (gas stations, convenience stores, florists, etc.), but on the whole there are laws restricting most retailers in some states. I for one support this because I think people should be able to have a couple of days a year to spend with their families - it's not like there aren't enough shopping days already (and I say this as someone who has worked in retail in the past).

That's interesting to me. I have not found one state that requires holiday pay... admittedly, though, I have only looked up 12 or so. We pay our employees their regular wages for holiday, whether they work or not. But occasionally and emergency will happen, and we ask that they come work on a holiday, and I pay for those hours also at regular pay. So essentially double-time. The hours actually worked will be determined in calculating to 40 and if the employee reaches 40, everything after that is 1.5x. In my experience, often people are used to benefits that previous jobs have always offered, and seem to be standard, but are not aware that these are not laws or "rights." Just a benefit the employer chooses to pay to attract and keep good employees.

Anyway, not trying to make a bad introduction of myself by arguing. :)

Back to the regular topic...

[myusername]

That's interesting to me. I have not found one state that requires holiday pay... admittedly, though, I have only looked up 12 or so. We pay our employees their regular wages for holiday, whether they work or not. But occasionally and emergency will happen, and we ask that they come work on a holiday, and I pay for those hours also at regular pay. So essentially double-time. The hours actually worked will be determined in calculating to 40 and if the employee reaches 40, everything after that is 1.5x. In my experience, often people are used to benefits that previous jobs have always offered, and seem to be standard, but are not aware that these are not laws or "rights." Just a benefit the employer chooses to pay to attract and keep good employees.

Anyway, not trying to make a bad introduction of myself by arguing. :)

Back to the regular topic...

Can't edit...

Found one! Massachusetts.

Edit....

I found three. RI, Maine, and Mass. They have so-called "blue laws"

foxnews.com/politics/2013/11/28/decades-old-blue-laws-ban-thanksgiving-day-shopping-in-3-states/

and, it appears that only Mass requires 1.5x pay for working a holiday. RI requires it if you work in a few occupations (horse racing??, and a couple others), and Maine does not require it. Just standard pay. So Mass is a great state to live in if you work retail! LOL! I'd have worked a holiday for 1.5x when I was younger!

[2xx1xy1JD]

I know I'm pretty much in the minority of everyone on this, but I really don't like Halloween. I don't have any moral objections to it, there's just nothing about it that appeals to me. Even when I was a child of trick-or-treating age, having to come up with a costume and put it together and then traipse out into the cold to knock on neighbors' doors sounded more like a chore than a fun time. I get all kinds of shit from my friends and family for "hating" Halloween and not celebrating it. I'm also against school parties in general (although I don't have kids, so maybe I don't get a vote in that debate).

I'm curious about people who don't celebrate Christmas because I know lots of people who are atheist, agnostic, or members of a religion other than Christianity, and they all celebrate Christmas. The only people I've ever met who don't celebrate Christmas are JWs. I completely understand saying "I'm not a Christian so I don't celebrate Christmas," I've just never met anyone who does it. The U.S. is gradually becoming more secular, yet Christmas seems to get bigger every year. I could see it eventually evolving into a holiday that had religious origins but became completely secular, although I would love to see Christmas become simpler and less commercialized.

I don't celebrate Christmas. What are you curious about? I don't mind answering questions.

I occasionally find the odd work dilemna. What do I do about holiday cards, when I'm getting them from clients or other firms? Is there a need to exchange token gifts with other co-workers? What if neither of us is Christian? My first year in the workforce, I remember that there were 4 of us during a law internship (articling, for Canadians): 1 Jew (me), 1 Hindu, 2 nominal Christians. It ended up being the Hindu co-worker who was the big gift guy, and I had to scramble to get a gift over lunch because it never occurred to me. Sometimes, I've had to remind myself at the last minute to get some boxed candy or something similar for secretaries. I wasn't sure what to do with employees, so I just do an end-of-year small bonus. There are also workplace "holiday lunch/dinners". I go because it's work.

With family, friends and neighbors - I live in an area where most are Jewish, so Christmas is just ignored as a day when shops are closed.

[Coco]

I really don't think it's fair to say you can sum up the US by that attitude. Maybe certain areas, and certainly a few individuals in any area. But, even just looking at FJ there are a significant number of posters from the South and other very conservative areas, and obviously they don't feel that way, and I'm sure there are a significant number of their neighbors who also disagree with that belief.

My kids, at least a decade+ ago, learned about various cultures in school partly by learning about and celebrating in some way a large range of holidays. . Ones I remember them learning about and doing some sort of activity around include:( and I'm sure there were more, it was awhile ago) include Diwali - The Festival of Lights, Rosh Hashanah, Chinese New Year ( REALLY big in my general area, but not in my town) , Dios de Los Muertos - Day of The Dead, the Festival of Floating Bowls -which is Bhuddist and celebrated in Thailand, as well as Halloween Valentines Day and the Winter smush together of Christmas /Hanukkah/Kwanza/Winter Solctice.

eta: I noticed that I didn't include any Muslim celebrations. That's because I don't recall what they did, but I am 100% certain that if they include holidays of major world religions they would include Muslim holidays as well. If only I'd known it would come up in random Internet conversations years later I would of taken notes :D

Those are just the ones where I either remember the name of a holiday they taklked about, or a celebration/activity they did and looked up the name and religion/culture it represents. I'm sure there's a lot more. And it's not like it took tons of time. It seemed like they just worked relevant activities into art or music or social studies or language arts at the appropriate time. Some teachers, of course, did this more than others.

It's actually one of the things that really bugs me about all the recent emphasis on testing -- I think kids gain a much broader knowledge of the world, and respect for other people who live differently from them, if there's flexibility for teachers to include these kind of things. And I think there has been a big drop in that ability over the past dozen years . Anyway, that's a rant for a different thread. :lol:

I'd be greatly exaggerating if I said it was all equally celebrated - Halloween, Valentines Day and Christmas were always a thing, while the others varied. But certainly there wasn't some notion of the only holidays that should be celebrated or acknowledged were the traditional Christian ones.

Hmm...now that I think of it, the one holiday I don't think they ever did any activities around at school was Easter.

A kids' show that really surprised me the first time it aired: Sid the Science Kid (on PBS) does have an Easter show. The science tie-in is really weak too, it's about different kinds of rocks. (He finds a piece of iron pyrite looking for Easter eggs). The really odd thing is that the Sid character is half Jewish, half black -- his family celebrates Kwanzaa, Chanukah, and Christmas all at the same time. And of course it's a Jim Henson show, so he looks like an yellow muppet and kind of sounds like Yoda. It's actually kind of a mess. :evil-eye:

youtu.be/jkSDF8aZePg

[O Latin]

I don't celebrate Christmas. What are you curious about? I don't mind answering questions.

I occasionally find the odd work dilemna. What do I do about holiday cards, when I'm getting them from clients or other firms? Is there a need to exchange token gifts with other co-workers? What if neither of us is Christian? My first year in the workforce, I remember that there were 4 of us during a law internship (articling, for Canadians): 1 Jew (me), 1 Hindu, 2 nominal Christians. It ended up being the Hindu co-worker who was the big gift guy, and I had to scramble to get a gift over lunch because it never occurred to me. Sometimes, I've had to remind myself at the last minute to get some boxed candy or something similar for secretaries. I wasn't sure what to do with employees, so I just do an end-of-year small bonus. There are also workplace "holiday lunch/dinners". I go because it's work.

With family, friends and neighbors - I live in an area where most are Jewish, so Christmas is just ignored as a day when shops are closed.

I hadn't even thought about the work aspect of it. You live in Canada, if I recall correctly. Do the schools there have a long break for Christmas the way they do in the U.S.? If you have kids, do they feel left out because they don't celebrate this big holiday that their friends do? Does it annoy you if people just assume you celebrate? What do you do on the day itself, is it just like a normal weekend or day off?

Wow, that was a longer list of questions than I intended. You don't have to answer all of them.

Oh, I thought of one more. Did you grow up celebrating Christmas? I'm curious about this because even if I woke up tomorrow and decided I hated everything about Christianity, I can't imagine giving up Christmas (I LOVE Christmas), but that's partly because I grew up with it and have a lot of happy memories surrounding it. My Dad's family runs the gamut from militant atheists to just not caring about religion, and they have the hugest, most elaborate Christmas celebrations of anyone I know, but again, I think that's partly because that's how it's been their whole lives. I suppose if Christmas had never been a big thing in your life, there wouldn't be anything to miss and not celebrating it would be normal.

[keen23]

Can't edit...

Found one! Massachusetts.

Edit....

I found three. RI, Maine, and Mass. They have so-called "blue laws"

foxnews.com/politics/2013/11/28/decades-old-blue-laws-ban-thanksgiving-day-shopping-in-3-states/

and, it appears that only Mass requires 1.5x pay for working a holiday. RI requires it if you work in a few occupations (horse racing??, and a couple others), and Maine does not require it. Just standard pay. So Mass is a great state to live in if you work retail! LOL! I'd have worked a holiday for 1.5x when I was younger!

Massachusetts used to have mandatory time and a half on Sundays when I was first working retail in the 1990's. I worked at CVS as an hourly clerk, and I ALWAYS worked on Sundays, from 9 AM until we closed at 6 PM. It was the best shift of the week. Got an unpaid hour lunch, two paid 15 minute breaks, and was paid time and half for 8 hours. So my $7 an hour was $10.50 an hour for that day.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I hadn't even thought about the work aspect of it. You live in Canada, if I recall correctly. Do the schools there have a long break for Christmas the way they do in the U.S.? If you have kids, do they feel left out because they don't celebrate this big holiday that their friends do? Does it annoy you if people just assume you celebrate? What do you do on the day itself, is it just like a normal weekend or day off?

Wow, that was a longer list of questions than I intended. You don't have to answer all of them.

Oh, I thought of one more. Did you grow up celebrating Christmas? I'm curious about this because even if I woke up tomorrow and decided I hated everything about Christianity, I can't imagine giving up Christmas (I LOVE Christmas), but that's partly because I grew up with it and have a lot of happy memories surrounding it. My Dad's family runs the gamut from militant atheists to just not caring about religion, and they have the hugest, most elaborate Christmas celebrations of anyone I know, but again, I think that's partly because that's how it's been their whole lives. I suppose if Christmas had never been a big thing in your life, there wouldn't be anything to miss and not celebrating it would be normal.

1. Yes, I'm in Canada. My kids go to private Jewish schools that do a 2 week holiday at the end of December that matches the dates that the public schools do their holidays, for convenience. Some parents are public school teachers, others have some kids in the public system as well. Some more religious Jewish schools deliberately don't do a Christmas break, and do an end of January break instead.

2. Most of their friends are Jewish too, so being left out isn't an issue. They see Christmas stuff on TV and at the malls, so they know it exists. They also know that we celebrate Shabbat (Sabbath, with a big dinner every Friday) each week, plus Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukkah, Tu B'Shvat, Purim, Passover and Shavuot. They do not lack holiday celebrations. Having 18 people at dinner on Fridays is normal for us, and we have at least 50 guests over 2 nights for both Rosh Hashana and Passover.

3. I don't usually mind if people assume I celebrate. It's not obvious that I'm Jewish, and they don't know any better.

4. My husband is often on call at the hospital - he's willing to work that shift and give Christian colleagues a day off, esp. since he doesn't do call on our holidays. My office is closed for a half-day on Dec. 24, plus Dec. 25 and 26 (Dec. 26 aka Boxing Day is also a government holiday here). We go to movies, hang out with friends or cousins, clean closets, go toboganning if there is snow, etc. What makes it different is that the stores are closed, and nobody at the office expects me to answer them.

5. No, I didn't celebrate Christmas as a kid, but I was more aware of it because I went to public school and didn't move to a Jewish area until I was 9. I have some childhood memories of singing in the Christmas concert at school and looking at Christmas lights and going skiing at my grandfather's chalet. My husband went to Jewish schools and had Israeli parents, so he really knew very little about Christmas. On our first date, I saw a karaoke machine and joked about singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" or "Silent Night". He just gave me a really blank look and had no clue what I was talking about. All my family celebration memories, though, revolve around Jewish holidays. Even the atheist family members wouldn't miss the big family meals on Passover, for example.

[sparkles]

Where I live (Long Island), I've noticed that over the past few years, more and more stores are open on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now even on Easter, which was long considered a major no-no. I know that a lot of places ask for volunteers first and apparently there's no shortage of people who are willing to work, and plenty of people who want to shop since stores that are open are generally busy. The company Mr. Sparkle's works for needs to be staffed 24/7/365 and they do the volunteer thing for holidays (time and a half plus a comp day). Since we don't celebrate anything, he generally volunteers for at least two holidays.

I know there's a big backlash about stores being open on holidays but honestly, as long as workers aren't being forced or pressured, what's the big deal? Why should people who don't celebrate a particular holiday, especially folks who live in an ethnically and religiously diverse area, have to come to a halt because others do?

[2xx1xy1JD]

I do see a role for government mandated holidays, because of the risks of employees being pressured into working. I can also see it causing pressure for small businesses who feel the need to stay open on holidays to compete with the bigger stores that stay open.

OTOH, I do believe in exceptions for stores serving areas with religious/ethnic minorities.

Canada has more of these holidays that the US. I think I mentioned a while ago that we had a problem one year, because Good Friday and Easter Sunday were government holidays, and the preceding Wednesday and Thursday were the first 2 days of Passover. For the religious Jews in my area, that meant that it was impossible to go grocery shopping for 5 consecutive days, during a food-obsessed holiday. One local supermarket opened, in response to some desperate pleas from my rabbi, and prompted got shut down and fined by authorities. Eventually, after a lot of calls, local elected officials got the fine dismissed and made sure that stores in our area would be able to open in that sort of situation.

[J'Beka]

Welcome!

No line. :). You're right. I worked for almost a decade at a job where that was a requirement, and I assumed.

Hi all! My first post as well. I work at a movie theatre in IL. We're open everyday of the year with no holiday or weekend pay ever, same rate all year. Just my 2 cents!

[Feberin]

Where I live (Long Island), I've noticed that over the past few years, more and more stores are open on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now even on Easter, which was long considered a major no-no. I know that a lot of places ask for volunteers first and apparently there's no shortage of people who are willing to work, and plenty of people who want to shop since stores that are open are generally busy. The company Mr. Sparkle's works for needs to be staffed 24/7/365 and they do the volunteer thing for holidays (time and a half plus a comp day). Since we don't celebrate anything, he generally volunteers for at least two holidays.

I know there's a big backlash about stores being open on holidays but honestly, as long as workers aren't being forced or pressured, what's the big deal? Why should people who don't celebrate a particular holiday, especially folks who live in an ethnically and religiously diverse area, have to come to a halt because others do?

I agree. My husband has a second job making just about minimum wage working for an NFL team. If they have a home game on Thanksgiving he HAS to work or else he'd be fired. I find this whole public outcry about stores being open interesting since nobody is complaining about the NFL having football games scheduled on Thanksgiving and most of the people working at the stadium aren't making that much money. I guess it's because one is a tradition or whatever but it doesn't seem that different to me.

[Rebelwife]

Where I live (Long Island), I've noticed that over the past few years, more and more stores are open on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now even on Easter, which was long considered a major no-no. I know that a lot of places ask for volunteers first and apparently there's no shortage of people who are willing to work, and plenty of people who want to shop since stores that are open are generally busy. The company Mr. Sparkle's works for needs to be staffed 24/7/365 and they do the volunteer thing for holidays (time and a half plus a comp day). Since we don't celebrate anything, he generally volunteers for at least two holidays.

I know there's a big backlash about stores being open on holidays but honestly, as long as workers aren't being forced or pressured, what's the big deal? Why should people who don't celebrate a particular holiday, especially folks who live in an ethnically and religiously diverse area, have to come to a halt because others do?

I think that is the problem, though. Lots of retailers do require employees to work, especially on Thanksgiving as Black Friday has bled earlier and earlier.

[myusername]

Apparently I don't know how to Internet correctly! I think my post got eaten. :)

Anyway, I said that it's too bad that employers don't compensate their employees extra for working a holiday... since holidays are usually huge money-making days... and without the employees, that wouldn't happen.

[Snarkle]

Massachusetts used to have mandatory time and a half on Sundays when I was first working retail in the 1990's. I worked at CVS as an hourly clerk, and I ALWAYS worked on Sundays, from 9 AM until we closed at 6 PM. It was the best shift of the week. Got an unpaid hour lunch, two paid 15 minute breaks, and was paid time and half for 8 hours. So my $7 an hour was $10.50 an hour for that day.

Was wondering how long it would take someone to figure out about we New Englanders and our Blue Laws. :)

Massachusetts still has Sunday pay laws. And yes, the blue laws typically refer to when you can/cannot buy alcohol, but it includes a lot of other things, like working on Sundays:

www.mass.gov/ago/doing-business-in-mass ... nings.html

I have a number of friends working in retail and some like working Sundays because of the pay bonus. Most are thrilled that they don't have to work on Thanksgiving - I think last year the stores opened at 12:15 AM or 12:30 (because workers couldn't officially clock in until 12:01 and then they had to open the store). These laws only apply to retail workers, not other jobs. Obviously people who are health care workers and police and fire and the like all end up working on holidays because of the nature of their jobs.

[shedemei]

Honestly, I think most of these businesses close because they don't make enough money to stay open and pay employees.

[dairyfreelife]

It was trick or treat here tonight. Only one Elsa, so the drinking game would have failed. :lol: But also only had about 30 children show.

[Sundaymorning]

Well, I think it's wrong if government commands shops to close because of a religious holiday.

Because I don't think government should get involved in those things in general, and even if some think it should, at least it should stay neutral and treat all religions equally. Which would mean that shops would have to close a whole lot.

A private company can close down any time they want of course, whether it's for a religious holiday or for any other reason. Same goes for private schools.

I'm not quite sure how things could get solved well in public schools. Public schools should treat all religions equally, it's highly unfair and biased if they close only for the important holidays of one religion. One solution would be to give each student and teacher a number of days in each school year where they can stay away from school in order to celebrate the important holidays of their religion. But that would also mean an organisational desaster cause students and teachers would be missing from school so many different times if they belong to many different religions. Or if they belong mainly to one religion, what would you do with the few kids and teachers who would be present at a time when the rest is at home celebrating Christmas?

Whether you should be able to sing Christmas songs or other religious songs in a public school is also a difficult question. On one hand, a public school should be neutral, and nobody should be forced to partake in any kind of religious activity. On the other hand, students should learn about different religions and knowing some traditions is also part of a good education.

[shedemei]

Given that we don't get much vacation here in the US as a norm, I'm totally supportive of mandated holidays even if they are on religious holiday days. People need breaks from work.

I've been on both ends of the numbers of days off extremes, and the low end sucks.

[BrownieMomma]

FWIW, these are the Federal holidays of the US Government

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversigh ... /#url=2014

2014 Holiday Schedule

Date Holiday

Wednesday, January 1 New Year’s Day

Monday, January 20 Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, February 17 * Washington’s Birthday

Monday, May 26 Memorial Day

Friday, July 4 Independence Day

Monday, September 1 Labor Day

Monday, October 13 Columbus Day

Tuesday, November 11 Veterans Day

Thursday, November 27 Thanksgiving Day

Thursday, December 25 Christmas Day

I work for a state university. This is our holiday schedule for the year, which starts Sept 1.

September 1 Labor Day

November 27 - 28 Thanksgiving Break

December 22- January 2 Christmas Break (December 30 and 31 vacation or comp days)

March 16 - 20 Spring Break (March 19 and 20 vacation or comp days)

May 25 Memorial Day

* Employees may observe Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Cesar Chavez Day and/or Good Friday, in lieu of any one or more of the holidays on the University schedule. Employees wishing to substitute holidays should make arrangements with their supervisor for making up lost time.

Wow, I just realized there is no Fourth of July holiday! and it's not one of the alternates either.

Typically, Federal offices are closed on Federal holidays but no one else is required to close. Many states and businesses use the Federal holidays as a starting point for their own holiday policies. It is the state and local governments that set their own policies such as Blue Laws.

As for public schools, let the state mandate minimum requirements, such as number of days of attendance, then let the local school districts pick and choose their holiday closings according to their local community.

Not everyone is going to be accommodated. Where is this will go is to not close for religious holidays at all, then there will just be less time off, which generally time off with pay is a good thing.

[Mama Mia]

FWIW, these are the Federal holidays of the US Government

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversigh ... /#url=2014

I work for a state university. This is our holiday schedule for the year, which starts Sept 1.

Wow, I just realized there is no Fourth of July holiday! and it's not one of the alternates either.

Typically, Federal offices are closed on Federal holidays but no one else is required to close. Many states and businesses use the Federal holidays as a starting point for their own holiday policies. It is the state and local governments that set their own policies such as Blue Laws.

As for public schools, let the state mandate minimum requirements, such as number of days of attendance, then let the local school districts pick and choose their holiday closings according to their local community.

Not everyone is going to be accommodated. Where is this will go is to not close for religious holidays at all, then there will just be less time off, which generally time off with pay is a good thing.

Wow, what I find really interesting there is that Cesar Chavez Day is treated like a personal religious holiday. That seems....odd, to me. It's like Martin Luther King Day, or Thanksgiving. Not Christmas or Good Friday.

When I worked in non-profits we gave a metric shit-ton of paid holidays. And, for the U.S., a massive amount of vacation/sick time. I think it's pretty common to do that in social service fields.

It's hard, incredibly stressful work, the pay is awful for the level of skill and training required, so the maximum amount of time off possible is one of the few ways that employers can promote a good work environment and try to prevent complete burnout.

When I worked places that required on-site coverage on major holidays they would ask for volunteers first, and if they didn't get enough volunteers they would split the day up into short shifts -- so no one had to work the whole day. And you could then take off a different day to make up for the holiday.

When I worked restaurants, I just had to work. I don't recall that they paid extra, but I could be wrong.

[EyeQueue]

Surprising to hear that any public school anywhere in America has Halloween celebrations. They've been phased out here for so long, it's ancient history.

My daughter's elementary school (in NoCal) had Halloween celebrations, but these amounted to making masks in the classroom and having some goodies. No costumes--not because of any possible religious objections, but rather because it would be unfair if some kids couldn't participate because they could not afford to buy/make costumes.

Even with this scaled-down celebration, there were a couple of kids who would be pulled out of class and taken home because of the "demonic associations" with Halloween. :roll:

[already hungover]

Given that we don't get much vacation here in the US as a norm, I'm totally supportive of mandated holidays even if they are on religious holiday days. People need breaks from work.

I've been on both ends of the numbers of days off extremes, and the low end sucks.

Ugh. Me too. My employer only offers six holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. It SUCKS to have to choose between working the Friday after Thanksgiving and the days between Christmas and New Year's Day or blowing your paid time off to avoid coming in when the lab is totally dead*. We are all so overworked that we're absolutely salivating for a long weekend by the time one of the holidays rolls around.

The only fun part is having a New Year's Eve lunch with my other non-salaried coworkers. Don't tell anyone, but we usually go to buy beer and snacks and skip doing science that day.

*I work in research science. My lab is part of a pretty large company in a very liberal part of the US.