Free Republic

As retailers started opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day in recent years to offer deep discounts ahead of Black Friday, some consumers cried foul. They want the deals, but they don't want to leave their family celebrations to get them. Some also spoke up on behalf of employees of the stores that opened, saying it's unfair to ask them to also step away from family and friends on the holiday.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day. It is the fourth-biggest holiday for spending, according to CNBC. It is the third-largest card-sending holiday, according to Hallmark, with America’s moms receiving more than 133 million cards. It’s the biggest phone-calling day of the year, according to History.com, with call volume spiking by as much as 37 percent. And it’s the biggest holiday of the year for dining out, according to the National Restaurant Association. What most of us are unaware of is the Christian origin of Mother’s Day. It wasn’t about obligatory Mother’s Day presents or perfunctory Mother’s Day greeting...

Petition To Make Jewish Day of Atonement Yom Kippur A US National HolidayBy Joel Leyden Israel News AgencyNew York, New York --- September 16, 2012 ... Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, the most holy day in the Jewish religion is not recognized as a national holiday in the US. It is a day set aside around the world for all Jews to “afflict the soul,” to atone for the sins of the past year. But yet, the sacred holiday of Yom Kippur has not been accommodated with the respect that it deserves in the US. We are hoping...

Obama, who has struggled to overcome Clinton's significant advantage among Latino voters in state after state, sought to one-up his rival for the Democratic presidential nod by joining the call for creating a national holiday to commemorate the father of the United Farm Workers. "That's why I support the call to make Cesar Chavez's birthday a national holiday. It's time to recognize the contributions of this American icon to the ongoing efforts to perfect our union." Eight states commemorate Chavez' birthday in some fashion. In California, all state offices are closed, but local government facilities and public schools are open....

Once Upon a Time When America Had Christmas by Rabbi Aryeh SperoIt’s December 2030, and I’m shopping with my grandson in a mall in Northern Virginia. We’ve purchased a gift for a relative. “Gift wrap?” inquired the clerk. “Yes, thanks.” “Happy Chanukah, Merry Kwanzaa, or Eid Greetings?” I frowned. The clerk whispered, “Listen, I think there may still be a few rolls of Christmas wrap in the back if you want…” My grandson looked up at me and asked, “Why is the man whispering, Grandpa?” The clerk leaned over the counter: “The store’s Diversity Regulations stipulate that we’re no longer...

Australia Day. Celebrate what's great. Australia Day, January 26, is the biggest day of celebration in the country and is observed as a public holiday in all states and territories. On Australia Day we come together as a nation celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future. What's great about Australia? There are many great things about this country: The people -...

February 06, 2002 Happy Birthday, Ronald Reagan - Today is Ronald Reagan' s 91st birthday. I brought cupcakes to work, and put them under the lunchroom whiteboard. "We begin eating in five minutes!" For those who don't already know, here's why he was - and still is - important - a year-old Sunday Times of London article from the Andrew Sullivan website. Tell a liberal friend!