About This Blog

This blog is a chronicle of my insane personal challenge to celebrate at least one holiday or special day for every single day of 2009. Check back daily for new posts and days to add to next year's calendar!

Monday, January 19, 2009

January 19th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day


HOW I CELEBRATED

I'm glad I'm out of high school, though if I was, it would have been an easier way to celebrate today to simply have been given the day off. That was not the case, however, so instead I watched a special on the History Channel as well as a video on YouTube of the famous "I Have a Dream" speech from August 28, 1963. That video will be embedded in the H/CS section of the blog, by the way. Also, while it would've been easier to celebrate simply as a school/bank holiday, it would not have been the better way.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

While it is a school/bank holidays in many areas across the United States (though not everywhere), I would hope that one would celebrate the life of MLK in at least some small way on this holiday. President-Elect Barack Obama also said that the day should in King's honour be recognised as a Day of Service to help improve our great nation, and I fully agree.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

I feel that the video speaks for itself and the greatness of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. better than I ever could. Including a transcript of the speech directly in the article would make it too long in my opinion (I learned my lesson from both Binary Day and Natl. Sci-Fi Day on what not to do with formatting and quotations), I think it deserves a link. Though Stephen Colbert still has yet to acknowledge his shameful snubbing of Bald Eagle Day (I'm not going to let him off the hook for that in the near future), I would feel remiss if I were not to also include a link to his loving parody/tribute of King's famous speech with his own "I Have a Dreamsicle".

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

While U2's music is really hit-or-miss with me, their song "MLK" off Rattle and Hum is a tasteful tribute to the late Reverend King with lyrics that are at once both mournful and filled with hope. As much as Bono can be a pompously arrogant prick, he can write a fantastic song from time to time.

FOOTNOTES

-This holiday was originally recognized on King's birthday (January 15th) but was moved at some point to the third monday of the month for reasons that are unknown to me.

-I briefly considered celebrating Popcorn Day as well, but felt that it would be disrespectful to the memory of Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. to do so.

-Likewise I would have loved to have been able to celebrate Archery Day but a combination of respect for Dr. King and the complete lack of an archery range (that I'm aware of) in the area prevented this.

Other holidays and observances on this date include:
-Edgar Allen Poe's Birthday
-Confederate Heroes Day in Texas
-Feast of Sultán in the Bahá'í Faith
-Kappa Alpha Order Convivium (Founders Day)
-Epiphany in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Catholicism
-Popcorn Day (or Natl. Popcorn Day, sources vary on which the title is)
-Archery Day
-Catholic Feast Days for Henry of Uppsala, St. Mark of Ephesus, Wolfstan (Bishop of Worcester), and Maris, Martha, Abachum & Audifax

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