Holidays, who doesn’t like them. Well, employers who have to give a paid leave and me. I like the paid leave and having some family time, but apart from that, I don’t need holidays, personally.
In general, however, holidays are a great thing. You don’t need to work, you have a reason to party, and you can connect with other people.
But what is the deeper sense of holidays?
They are different kinds of holidays. From Mother’s Day to commemorating historical events to local holidays and more. But I will focus mostly on two kinds of holidays. National and religious.
Why are those celebrated? They’re often based on historical or biblical events or in honor of some person, but in the deeper sense they exist to build identity and community.
On holidays, peers of a religious group come together to celebrate. There are specific rituals or songs you only sing on certain holidays. You know this by being part of the group, which promotes a sense of belonging.
For countries, holidays are a symbol like flags or a hymn. They are needed to tell the myth of being a nation. In my latest newsletter, I linked a video about how nations are fake. Subscribe to watch it and be the first to know when I finally write my promised article about nations.
Holidays are a powerful tool to generate the feeling of a community and identity. Even if the true reason why we celebrate may be forgotten, as it happens a lot nowadays.
The power lays in the fact that you do not have to work on holidays. That varies from country to country and from holiday to holiday, but for the most important ones you get a paid leave.
The people use their leisure time to celebrate with their loved ones or are forced to. There may be parades, fireworks or other official celebrations where everyone comes together and can feel the community.
Holidays strengthen the feeling of inclusion and of course alienate others by exclusion.
The relation between the economy and holidays is also two-sided. On the one hand, employers have to pay you a day, you don’t work, on the other hand parts of the economy make their highest incomes during holidays. Thanks to overconsumption and celebrations.
Of course, the health costs also go up. Thanks to car accidents, alcohol, fireworks and more. But that’s nothing the economy has to be worried about because society bears the costs.
Why does the good system need new holidays?
Does the good system even need holidays? Yes, because of the symbolic power they have. And because they strengthen the feeling of belonging.
But we need holidays that are inclusive. Meaning that we do not celebrate a historic event where a war has ended, someone founded something or a brave man slayed a dragon.
Since the good system is global, we need something that everyone can identify with around the planet. As often we do not need to invent something new but look back in time.
Before mankind had calendars, months or weeks, they had days and seasons. They lived with the natural changes and celebrated the darkest and lightest days in the year. The solstices.
They didn’t know that exact dates, one because they hadn’t dates and second because they didn’t have science. Nowadays, we know exactly
when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere.
(Wikipedia)
There is a small problem. The two hemispheres always experience opposite solstices. Luckily, we have two other days, that are the same all over the globe.
Equinoxes.
So I suggest we have these four holidays in our good system to celebrate mankind and the planet. While global, they shall be celebrated differently in whatever manner local communities fin appropriate.
Only four holidays, you may ask. Yes, I say. But these are the systemic global holidays. There will still be regional, local and religious holidays. You do not need to be worried about having less days off.
Specially, because in the good system there are better working conditions and more vacation, so you don’t rely on holidays to regenerate.
Another thing we need to think about, how the holidays and the system change the calendar. Nowadays, it is common in most countries that the new year starts on January 1st. But there are many other cultural and religious calculations of the new year.
Wouldn’t it make sense for a new systematic calendar? However, that’s the topic of another article.
Happy Holidays.
My name is Ian DeBay.
I am the founder of iandebay.com. I am a content creator, blogger, podcast, YouTuber. This is my blog where I talk about system change, sustainability and other fun stuff.
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