It was so nice to have this past Monday off as a holiday! I unceremoniously slept until ten in the morning, then slovenly sat on the couch, drinking tea, binging on the television show “Below Deck”. Most other holidays involve some sort of celebration; Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, even Memorial Day, but Victory Day? This is the day we celebrate the end of World War II when Japan surrendered. Although the end of the war happened seventy-five years ago, veterans who fought in the war still hold this day in infamy to celebrate the freedoms which were maintained. With concern about political incorrectness, it has been suggested this holiday be eliminated, but Rhode Islanders love to have the day off!

Other states have some of their own holidays. Two of our neighbors to the north, Massachusetts, and Maine, along with Wisconsin, celebrate Patriots Day. Although most people in New England think of this day as “Marathon Monday,” or the day of the Boston Marathon, it originates back to the American Revolution. In 1775, valiant residents of Massachusetts took up arms to battle for independence from Britain, leading to the formation of the United States of America.

The civil rights and labor leader Cesar Chavez is celebrated in California on March 31. The many causes for which he advocated included fair wages, workers’ rights, and the provision of medical benefits and pensions. Labor leaders and the media use this holiday to discuss current issues.

A fun holiday is Mardi Gras, celebrated in Louisiana two weeks and one day before Ash Wednesday. The first Mardi Gras, a tradition from medieval Europe, was in 1703, established by French Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville. With a carnival-like atmosphere, there is an elaborate parade with over-the-top floats and people in costumes.

Maryland has Defender’s Day, celebrating the successful battle of Baltimore versus the British troops during the War of 1812. This is the combat that inspired the poem, and later song, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The second weekend in September sees singing and dancing by Native Americans for the United Tribes International Powwow. Reveling and sharing their values and traditions, they compete for monetary prizes. Washington also celebrates Native American Heritage Day, the day after Thanksgiving, but this day is often overshadowed by the shoppers on Black Friday.

Pioneer Day is celebrated on July 24 in Utah. Commemorating Brigham Young and Mormon pioneers who were forced west because of religious persecution in 1847, people get together for re-enactments, parades, rodeos, picnics, and fireworks.

West Virginia celebrates … what else but West Virginia Day on June 20. They are unique as the only state that was declared a state through an official presidential proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. Parades and picnics abound.

Ahead of their time, Wisconsin has celebrated Juneteenth Day as the end of slavery, going back to the 1865 announcement by the Union soldiers that the Civil War was over and all those enslaved were free.

Perhaps the most jovial holiday is celebrated in Colorado: Frozen Dead Guys Days, observed the second weekend in March. It appears that one of their more unique residents, Bredo Morstol, was cryogenically preserved and resides in a mausoleum in Nederland, Colorado. Every year, visitors and residents gather for three days of fun racing coffins, listening to music, polar plunging and wearing frozen T-shirts.

Of course, there are many “holidays” without an actual day off work. In the first two weeks of January alone there are the National Cream Puff Day, National Fruit Cake Toss Day, National Spaghetti Day, National Bobble Head Day, National Bubble Bath Day, National Apricot Day, National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day, National Dress Up Your Pet Day, and National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day. Who knew? In my ignorance, I have been missing all the fun! (Watch out friends, I see a puddle in our way.)