Holidays
literally holy days, days on which ordinary occupations are suspended. We speak of New Year's Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and the twenty-fifth of December, or Christmas Day, as national holidays, but, as a matter of fact, Congress authorizes their observance only in the District of Columbia and territories. They are legal holidays elsewhere by reason of state legislation. Save by custom we have no national holidays.
The laws of the various states are far from uniform. There are no statutory holidays in Mississippi, but by common consent the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are observed. In New Mexico, Washington's Birthday, Decoration Day, Labor Day, Flag Day (June 14), and Arbor Day are holidays when so designated by the governor. In South Carolina, Thursday of Fair Week is a legal holiday. Holidays of general observance are New Year's Day; Washington's Birthday, February 22d; Decoration Day, May 30th; Good Friday; Labor Day, the first Monday in September; general election day, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. A number of holidays are observed locally, as January 8th, the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans; Mardi Gras, also at New Orleans; and May 20th, the anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration, in North Carolina. The date of Arbor Day is set by the government of various states. A number of states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, make Saturday afternoons a holiday. The following table of legal holidays in the various states has been brought down to 1909:
January 1. New Year's Day: In all the states, the District of Columbia, Arizona, and New Mexico, except Massachusetts, Mississippi, and New Hampshire.
January 8. Anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans: In Louisiana.
January 19. Lee's Birthday: In Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, and Arkansas.
February, Mardi-Gras: In Alabama, and the parish of Orleans, Louisiana.
February 12. Lincoln's Birthday: In Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming.
February 22. Washington's Birthday: In all the states, District of Columbia, and Arizona, except Mississippi, where it is observed by exercises in the public schools.
February (Third Tuesday). Spring Election Day: In Pennsylvania.
March 2. Anniversary of Texan Independence: In Texas.
April 9, 1909. Good Friday: In Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee.
April 19. Patriots' Day: In Maine and Massachusetts.
April 21. Anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto: In Texas.
April 26. Confederate Memorial Day: In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.
May 10. Confederate Memorial Day: In North Carolina and South Carolina.
May (Second Friday). Confederate Day: In Tennessee.
May 20. Anniversary of the Signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence: In North Carolina.
May (Last Friday). Pioneer Day: In Montana, observed in public schools.
May 30. Decoration Day: In all the states and territories (and District of Columbia), except Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas. In Virginia, known as "Confederate Memorial Day."
June 3. Jefferson Davis' Birthday: In Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina. In Louisiana known as "Confederate Memorial Day." In Virginia, in public schools.
July 4. Independence Day: In all the states, District of Columbia, and territories.
July 24. Pioneers' Day: In Utah.
July (Fourth Saturday). Primary Election Day: In Texas.
August. Primary Election Day: In Missouri.
August 16. Bennington Battle Day: In Vermont.
September 6, 1909. Labor Day: In all the states and territories (and District of Columbia), except North Dakota. In Louisiana, observed in Orleans Parish. In Wyoming by proclamation of the governor.
September (First Tuesday). Primary Election Day: In Wisconsin. In Michigan in even years.
September 9. Admission Day: In California.
September 12. "Old Defenders' Day": In Baltimore, Maryland.
October 31. Admission Day: In Nevada.
November 1. All Saints' Day: In Louisiana.
November. General Election Day: In Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho (Illinois in Chicago, Springfield and East St. Louis only), Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio (from 5:30 a. m. to 9 a. m. only), Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, in the years when elections are held therein.
November. Thanksgiving Day (usually the fourth Thursday in November): Is observed in all the states, and in the District of Columbia, Arizona, and New Mexico, though in some states it is not a statutory holiday.
December 25. Christmas Day: In all the states, District of Columbia, and territories.
Sundays, and fast days are legal holidays in all the states which designate them as such.
Every Saturday after 12 o'clock noon is a legal holiday in California in public offices, Illinois (in cities of 200,000 or more inhabitants), Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, the District of Columbia (for banking purposes), and in New Orleans, La., and Charleston, S. C.; in Louisiana and Missouri in cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants; in Tennessee, for state and county officers, and in Colorado during June, July, and August; in Indiana, first Saturday in June to last Saturday in October, inclusive, for all public offices in counties having a county seat of 100,000 population or more.
See Arbor Day; New Year'S Day; Christmas; Thanksgiving; Mardi Gras