I’m comparing the national day of mourning for a former president with a religious holiday because they are both federally mandated holidays - not because I find them equal in ultimate importance.
I do support holidays; whether private employers want to offer them to their employees is the personal decision of the private employer. They probably wouldn’t be very popular employers, attracting the best workers, if they refused to do so. Even in business, one has to ‘go with the flow’ to succeed.
(I don’t know why you insert the idea that government should ‘subsidize’ any holidays offered by private employers; that’s not a ‘trend’ I’ve heard anything about.)
But, yes, ultimately, I think it’s all good. I’m a pretty easy-going gal, when it comes to very unique events for which unique accommodations can be useful, inspiring, and provocative of thought.
(Did you ever read ‘A Christmas Carol’, by Dickens? It’s a wonderful book...)
Clearly most in private sector can't afford to provide their employees with matching government paid holidays off work. No?
Can government afford to continue paying tens of thousands of government employees for not working because tradition makes you feel good?