Look: it’s another holiday! (Which one is this?)

This past Monday and this Friday are public holidays. Quick: can you name what those holidays are?

We’re willing to bet that the overwhelming majority of people can’t name them, but who cares!? They’re holidays, and that’s all that matters!

We overheard this comment this past weekend and chuckled to ourselves, although on further reflection we wondered, what’s the point of a public holiday if the general public doesn’t know what the holiday is and why it even is a public holiday?

You can check the Wikipedia web page to learn more about Whit Monday and you also check out the (minimal) reference to Labour Day in the Bahamas. But finding out what the holidays are for isn’t the same as knowing why they are important enough to be holidays.

Another recurring instance of this unfortunately common ignorance is the holiday that falls on the first Monday in August, often referred to as ‘August Monday’, and also known as the start of the crawfish season. But the holiday in the Bahamas is actually Emancipation Day, when we remember the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was enacted. (See: Remembering the past and protecting the future, August 2, 2007)

It’s easy to blame the government or the schools for our people not being better aware of the history and importance of these holidays. But we think it is primarily parents’ responsibility to ensure that their children grow up understanding the history of our country, how and why it affects them, and why they are important enough to shut down commerce and education to commemorate them.

But to do that, parents need to be more aware themselves! Internet searches and history books (you remember books, don’t you?) are a good place to start. Talk to the elders of your community about their Labour Day memories, talk to your minister about how Whit Monday fits into the formal church calendar, and, students, ask your teachers to spend some time talking about emancipation and the history of slavery in the Bahamas.

All this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy the time off work and school, of course! Spend time with family, get out to the beach, relax and recover from recent stresses; but take some time to remind yourself of the the significance of the day.

Stay safe.

~ejr~