Friday 21 May 2010
What's up with all the holidays?
As a Canadian girl living in Austria I am often amazed by the number of holidays or "Feiertage" there are in Austria...who knew Catholics had so many different religious events? Last week we just got through Ascension Day and now we're going into Whit Monday this week to be followed by Corpus Christi on June 3rd. Seriously...do we really need this many days? To make it worse the schools always close on the Friday when the holiday is on the Thursday because it's a "Fenstertag" (a window day). I mean great for kids but 3 long weekends in as many weeks seems to me to be a bit holiday overload. On top of that there isn't another one until October...hello?? What about long weekends in the summer?
I think the Canadians have it right - bank holiday in July, August and September so we can enjoy the summer - here we have crammed them all into three weeks and then have to suffer through the rest of the summer with no long weekend in sight.
I asked Stefan's mother about this and of course, these days all have religious significance so that is why there are bank holidays. There are no bank holidays for the sake of the long weekend (ahem...can we say the "civil holiday" in August in Canada? That is just an excuse for a long weekend to head to the cottage and drink beer!).
I suppose living in the land of Catholics I should expect this but I am always curious that the Catholics celebrate so MANY holidays...are we Protestants getting gyped?
Ah well...I should just enjoy Whit Monday plus school holiday on Tuesday - get out into the garden and enjoy the sun (if we are lucky enough to have any) and stop complaining! hee hee!
I think the Canadians have it right - bank holiday in July, August and September so we can enjoy the summer - here we have crammed them all into three weeks and then have to suffer through the rest of the summer with no long weekend in sight. I asked Stefan's mother about this and of course, these days all have religious significance so that is why there are bank holidays. There are no bank holidays for the sake of the long weekend (ahem...can we say the "civil holiday" in August in Canada? That is just an excuse for a long weekend to head to the cottage and drink beer!).
I suppose living in the land of Catholics I should expect this but I am always curious that the Catholics celebrate so MANY holidays...are we Protestants getting gyped?
Ah well...I should just enjoy Whit Monday plus school holiday on Tuesday - get out into the garden and enjoy the sun (if we are lucky enough to have any) and stop complaining! hee hee!
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