| National Whatever Day | The Toronto Star Body & Soul - 06/03/01 | |
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Okay, I’ve had it. I almost choked on my coffee this morning when I read that Saturday June 9th is National Kids Day in Canada. As if our children need another day where they’re in the spotlight, pampered and feted like pint-sized royalty. Around my house that’s every day.
“Who the heck makes this stuff up?” I wondered. So I checked, and it turns out Canada’s National Kids Day was formed in 1998 by “leading children’s industry organizations and corporations to celebrate children and recognize the special place they hold in our hearts and in our society.” Apparently we’re supposed to “celebrate, congratulate, jubilate and tell kids they’re great.” See, this is not some long-standing holiday steeped in traditional customs and revelry. It’s just another made-up day to go along with all the other Hallmark Holidays that have somehow crept into our lives. Now before I get bombarded with a barrage of nasty missive: yes, I know National Kids Day is meant to promote volunteerism and philanthropy, as well as raise funds for kids in need. I have no quarrel with this year’s charity: the Kids Help Phone, it’s a great cause. But you don’t need an officially-declared day to do all this. In fact in my view, linking these noble objectives with yet another National Day of Whatever, just trivializes the whole thing. It’s getting a bit ridiculous. Next thing you know it’ll be July 4th and my presence will be expected out on the boulevard, spatula in hand, to celebrate National Sidewalk Egg Frying Day. By the way, has anybody bothered to mention to our darling children that July 22nd is Be an Angel Day, or that the entire month of September has apparently been set aside as Kids Good Manners Month? Hey fair’s fair, if you’re going to celebrate National Kids Day, you’d better make sure you observe the rest of the made-up holidays as well. I’ll expect to see everyone ringside at the zoo’s pachyderm pen on September 22nd for Elephant Appreciation Day. There are so many of these designated days now that one date is often host to several special tributes. Thankfully it’s really not too difficult to honour two of these things at once. In fact, in many cases it actually makes sense to do so. For instance, Cow Appreciation Day and Ice Cream Cone Day, both booked for July 15th, seems to be a match made in heaven. And the fact that National Panic Day and No Smoking Day are both slated for March 9th doesn’t seem to present a problem either. But it would be a great tragedy if National I Forgot Day fell on the same day as National Trousers Day. Perhaps we could just make the best of a bad situation and declare it National Full Moon Day. With so many important occasions it’s understandable that you might forget to acknowledge one or two of them. Don’t sweat it, National Kiss and Make Up Day is August 19th. But even with all these special days, I’m still feeling a bit shortchanged . So I’m seriously thinking about declaring a National Freelance-writer-with-three-kids-a-husband-and-a-dog Day. Perhaps I’ll hold it on April 7th, which just happens to coincide with National No Housework Day. Please mark your calendars accordingly. |