Louisiana Children go to School on Columbus Day
Holiday Swaps are Popular in Many States, and LA is no Different
Oct 12, 2009
For many Americans the verses:
In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
are not unfamiliar, but for a growing number they might be becoming less meaningful. Today, children in southwest Louisiana's Beauregard Parish are returning to school while most others have the day off.
While some may jump to conclusions that there may have been a big storm that canceled a school day seeing as the likes of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike have passed through this area in recent years, and this is a make-up, the truth is that Columbus Day was forgone for a day off this past Friday, which was deemed Fair Day.
What is Fair Day?
Politically-conscious right wingers may recognize the word "fair" and think of the scrutiny President Obama comes under when he uses the word "fairness" relating to taxes and the redistribution of wealth. This conclusion would lead such people to think that Fair Day is a holiday created by the White House where people have a day off from school or work to celebrate fairness.
This conclusion would be wrong. Fair Day is much more simple. DeRidder, LA, a town of 10,000 people near Fort Polk Army Base, hosted a county fair with rides and games where thousands of people were able to enjoy several days out with their family. Friday and Saturday hosted tractor pulls and engine shows in a covered arena.
This event is so big that high school football games in Beauregard were moved from Saturday to Thursday.
Is Southwest Louisiana Out of Step With the Rest of the Country?
While some may see the ignoring of Columbus Day for Fair Day as backwards, it is actually more in line with many parts of the country. Page one of The Wall Street Journal printed an article titled "Is Columbus Day Sailing Off the Calendar?" this past Saturday describing the matter.
More than Twenty states do not give paid time off for the day, and a number of cities in various states prefer to recognize other things.
Among the bigger political names opposing Columbus Day are Governor Schwarzenegger (R) of California who eliminated it in his recent budget cuts and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) who canceled the week long recess normally taken in the Senate to focus on the healthcare issues that have been so prevalent to voters this year.
Columbus, Ohio used to have a large parade every year to mark the day recognizing its namesake, but has not done so since 1998.
The WSJ article above also notes that many people would like to rename the second Monday of October Native Americans Day while also creating an Italian Heritage Day in the wake of eliminating Columbus Day entirely.
This weekend, it may have sounded strange to some that Cajun Country had let their children go to school on Columbus Day so that they could enjoy a day of cotton candy, roller coasters, and prizes, but while Beauregard Parish is not in step with half the nation, it is not out of step with much of of it.
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