The Mid-Major Holidays

As a child, every holiday is a big deal. They are celebrated at school with various observances; teachers make special bulletin boards; sometimes a parade is involved.

As an adult, there are certain holidays that remain "major" - namely Christmas (the presents), Thanksgiving (the food), and one's birthday (again, the presents). However, other holidays tend to shift to "mid-major" status. These would include Halloween, Easter, Valentine's Day, Independence Day, etc. You remember they are coming up, you perhaps send a card or attend a friendly function, but they don't really figure into your plans too much. Then there are the minor holidays, still important but mostly remembered because the mail doesn't come and the banks are closed: President's Day, MLK Jr. Day, Columbus Day.

When one crosses over to parenthood, suddenly all the holidays are a big deal again. And the mid-major holidays somehow turn into a huge amount of work.

Observe:
Halloween involves decoration of the home, visit to the pumpkin patch, mutilation of the pumpkin, research and selection of the costume, purchase of the candy, scheduling of the trick-or-treat festivities with other families, attendance at the church "fall festival", involvement with the pre-school party, and extensive picture-taking throughout. Notice we have not even gone trick-or-treating yet.

Easter involves decoration of the home, purchase of adorable Easter outfits, preparation and decoration of eggs, embarkation upon Easter egg hunt, assemblage and presentation of Easter baskets, participation in church Easter festivities also to include Easter egg hunt, and extensive picture-taking throughout. Notice we have not even mentioned the celebration of the resurrection of Christ yet.

And now, Valentine's Day. The latest holiday to be promoted to mid-major status. This blessed day is no longer relegated to besotted couples. It is now the territory of pre-school aged children. "Why do we give Valentines, Mommy?" asks my four-year-old. "Your guess is as good as mine," is the response I'd like to give. "So that we can show our friends how much we like them," is my answer.

So, we select the valentines. (Bonus points if candy is attached.) We assemble the valentines. We prepare the box our friends' valentines will be placed in. We purchase additional valentines to give as gifts to our children. We make and decorate valentine cupcakes. We purchase and wear special valentine shirts. Valentine's Day turns into Valentine's Weekend. Somewhere in the process Mommy and Daddy manage to sneak away for a Valentine's lunch and the bringing home of roses. Extensive picture-taking throughout.

There's a lot of love in the air. On to St. Patrick's Day.

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