Politics and Culture

I didn't want to write a story of such profundity on New Years Eve, as it would have ruined whatever revelry you had planned. But, it's over now. New Year's day has neither national nor religious significance. It's about as meaningful as the end of each month and less worthy of a day off than the beginning of Spring. The only reasons I can think of having it is for people to sleep off their party hangovers and to have a rationale for extending Christmas vacations.

Getting rid of the New Year's holiday would have two benefits:

1. It would eliminate the phrases "the holidays," holiday season," and "happy holidays." From now on, people would have to say, "happy holiday," to which you could reply, "which one?"

2. It would allow the United States to give George Washington and Abrahan Lincoln, two of the greatest men in world- not just American- history.