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Americans
are known throughout the world as people who
do things spontaneously. One
area we're always ready to "spontane" in is
celebrating. It doesn't matter
WHAT we're celebrating, we're ready to do it.
This week we're
looking at some of the more... interesting...
holidays we have to look forward to each year,
and how to tell them from the "real thing" --
those Federal Holidays that shut down the post
office when you're trying to mail an important
bill payment.
Celebrating
is fun because it breaks our normal routine,
and that includes what we wear when we're celebrating.
Admit it, you like dressing up when you were
a kid and playing make-believe. We still do
it now that we're all grown up, so we can celebrate
in style.
We can handle your
every-day clothes and your celebration glad
rags, so bring 'em on.
See you soon!
Ed and Mary Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company |
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Celebrations
Trivia Quiz
We have a lot of days
that we "celebrate" each year on the local,
state and national level. Which of the following
are Federal holidays?
- Lincoln's
Birthday
- Earth
Day
- Mothers'
Day
- Halloween
Answer: None
of them! Actual "Federal Holidays"
are ones that have been enacted by Congress.
There are 10 each year. What
are they -- and why aren't some of these among
them? Read on! |
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Suit
Yourself COUPON!
As much as we grumble
about having to get "all dressed up" for a celebration,
we enjoy it, too. We know we look our very best.
This week, get ready for any celebration on
your calendar. Have
$10 in regular drycleaning done and get a suit
(2 or 3 piece, men's or women's) drycleaned
at half price. (Include
first page of this newsletter with your order.
Offer expires 3/5/05. Cannot be combined with
other offers.) |
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A
Plethora of Celebrations!
Open a calendar
to any month and you?ll find holidays listed.
Some are "national" holidays, others are traditional
celebrations, and (depending on the calendar)
some are downright crazy. How
do these holidays get on the calendar in the
first place?
All
holidays are not created equal.
There are at least
7 different kinds of holidays you may encounter
(and we?re not even going to touch international
ones!) Each comes about in a different way.
- Federal
Holidays -- There
are 10 of them, and they are set by Congressional
legislation. The states are
not required to follow them, but most do.
They are: Birthday
of Martin Luther King Jr., Washington's Birthday
(the more correct legal name for what has
become "Presidents Day"), Memorial Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day,
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's
Day. Other than MLK Day and
the 4th of July, the others slide around on
different dates each year and are usually
relegated to a Monday "observance" for the
convenience of the bean counters.
- State
Holidays -- State
legislators and governors can declare state
holidays. These are taken
under great consideration because of the economic
ramifications of paying state workers for
not working on those days.
- Local/Regional
Holidays -- These generally
have nothing to do with paid days off, and
so are much more creative. Just
about any elected official can get into the
act and get a proclamation put forward to
name a day in honor of something.
- Activist
Holidays -- These usually have
the most unwieldy names ("Week of Solidarity
with Peoples Struggling Against Racism and
Racial Discrimination" -- March 21-21)
and are declared
by various activists to bring attention to
their issues.
- Health-Related
Holidays -- Originally, these
were "months" (American Heart Month, February)
but over time they've also blossomed into
"weeks" and "days" since there was too much
duplication for each month among different
health emphases. The
idea is to have a rallying point each year
to stir up media attention and remind the
public to do whatever is needed to benefit
their health in a particular area.
- Promotional
Holidays -- Everything from
"National Frozen Food Month" (March) to "National
Iced Tea Month" (June). These
are campaigns put together by manufacturers?
public relations departments, trade associations
and other similar groups to
have a good advertising hook for a period
of time and get people to buy more of their
product. Some
of these are quite humorous, and fun to participate
in.
- Fun
Holidays -- Let's
face it, anybody can create a holiday.
They make them "official" by getting some
elected officer or organization to buy into
declaring them, or by simply submitting them
to one of the well-known Calendar publishers
like Chase's annual Calendar of Events. After
that, they get picked up and listed by all
kinds of other calendars and the ball is rolling!
We know
all about the first six categories, so letss
delve into some of the great things we have
to look forward to in coming months!
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Month-by-Month
Fun Celebrations
Here is a round-up
of some of the more interesting celebrations
each year. Mark ‘em down and join in the fun.
- January
(something to look forward to next year!)
is National Clean
Up Your Computer Month (and
it's never too late for that one.) In keeping
with our desires to turn over new leaves each
New Year, it's also National Get Organized
Month, and includes Diet
Resolution Week (1/1-7 --No need
to go further than 7 days, since you'll be
off the wagon by then.) Someday We'll
Laugh About This Week is 1/3-7. International
Hoof Care Week is 1/26-29. (Meaningful
to some people - you know who you are.) The
month also includes Fruitcake Toss
Day (1/3), Penguin Awareness
Day (1/15) and Answer Your
Cat's Questions Day (1/22).
- February
seems to be guilt month - National
Caffeine Addiction Awareness Month
and Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket
Month. It also includes Just
Say No to Powerpoints Week (2/7-11
- don't we wish!) and Love
Makes the World Go Round, but Laughter Keeps
Us From Getting Dizzy Week (2/7-14).
As if that weren't enough, you can celebrate
Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor
Day (2/7), For the Love of
Mike Day (2/22) and, of course, For
Pete's Sake Day (2/26).
- March
always seems long, dark and cold as we wait
for the blessings of Spring. So, it's no coincidence
it's National On-Hold Month.
Of course, while you're on hold, you can celebrate
Play the Recorder Month.
Librarians love it because we celebrate Return
the Borrowed Books Week (3/1-7),
but that week is backstopped with National
Procrastination Week (3/7-13). National
Bubble Blowers Week (3/20-26) shows
our increasing confidence that Spring is just
around the corner. Days to mark down for special
attention: What If Cats and Dogs Had
Opposable Thumbs Day (3/3), Panic
Day (3/9, and one of our favorites),
Middle Name Pride Day (3/11,
for all those with loony middle monikers),
National Open An Umbrella Indoors
Day (3/13), Awkward Moments
Day (3/18), International
Goof-off Day (3/22), Make
Up Your Own Holiday Day (3/26) and
the ever-popular Bunsen Burner Day
(3/31).
- April
is when we all get Spring Fever and begin
to take life less seriously. How else can
we account for International Daffynitions
Month and International Twit
Award Month? It's also Straw
Hat Month and Tackle Your
Clutter Month (maybe put some of
the clutter on the hat....) The last week
of the month is a gangbuster of celebration,
embracing National Karaoke Week,
Sky Awareness Week (yup,
it's still there!) and National Scoop
the Poop Week (all 4/24-30). Everybody
needs a day, and on April 1 it's Hospital
Admitting Clerks Day. Other days
for the month are National Workplace
Napping Day (4/4), No Housework
Day (4/7 - thanks, but you don't
need to declare a day for THAT to happen),
Take a Wild Guess Day (4/15),
National Wear Your Pajamas to Work
Day (4/16), Blah, Blah, Blah
Day (4/17), Hug an Australian
Day (4/26 - OK, Aussie came up with
that one?), Richter Scale Day
(4/26) and National Hairball Awareness
Day (4/29 - gag-gag!)
- May
is a time to get back on track with Get
Caught Reading Month, National
Correct Posture Month, and National
Good Car Keeping Month. But we can
loosen up with Eat Dessert First Week
(5/1-7), National New Friends, Old
Friends Week (5/15-21) and National
Dog Bite Prevention Week (5/15-21).
The grab-bag of days includes Roberts
Rule of Order Day (5/2, we'll second
that), Lumpy Rug Day (5/3),
No Diet Day (5/6), Do Dah
Day (5/7), Blame Someone Else Day
(5/13), World Turtle Day
(5/23) and Great American Grump Out
Day (5/25).
- June
is a month with something for everyone. It's
both Dairy Month and No
Dairy Month (not sure what that leaves).
We also celebrate National Hermit
Week at the same time as Meet
A Mate Week (6/13-20). If that leaves
you in a quandry, just celebrate Watermelon
Thump Week (6/23-26). Flat out wacky
days begin with Yell "Fudge" at the
Cobras in North America Day (6/2
- are there any?), Hug Your Cat Day
(6/3), Dog Appreciation Day/Give Your
Dog a Bone Day (6/4), Upsy
Daisy Day (6/8), Recess at
Work Day (6/16 - where's the monkey
bars?), World Sauntering Day
(6/19), Take Your Dog to Work Day
(6/24), and Please Take My
Children to Work Day (6/27).
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning.
Click on the symbol to the left if your
would like to send this and future newsletters
to a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
The
Iris City Cleaners Connection is
a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest
of fine garment care, restoration, and conservation.
It is published in Mt Pleasant, Iowa by Iris
City Cleaners and is an extension of our services
described in www.iriscitycleaners.com
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