LOVE & HATE for made up Holidays

by Linda Robertson

First, yes it’s me, and no Sunday isn’t my blog day. I’m switching days with the fabulous Jeffe this week, so y’all fans of the clever Ms. Kennedy can tune in on Wednesday and find out what the mysterious switcheroo is all about.

On to the topic.... The website etymonline.com (an etymology resource giving a basic understanding of where words come from, what they used to mean in the beginning and how they may have evolved) holiday has the following entry:

1500s, earlier haliday (c.1200), from O.E. haligdæg "holy day; Sabbath," from halig "holy" (see holy) + dæg "day" (see day); in 14c. meaning both "religious festival" and "day of recreation," but pronunciation and sense diverged 16c. As a verb meaning "to pass the holidays" by 1869.

So it seems that in ye olden days the term exclusively meant “holy days.” As the title of this post blatantly proclaims, this week the word-whores are discussing those holidays that may be a bit lacking in the holy department.

Since I don’t want to be disparaging, I’ll go with a made up holiday I love. And it’s coming up in 49 days, if my count be correct. (Oooo….hint there. Did ye catch it, matey?)

September 19th. International Talk Like A Pirate Day. http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Why is this my favorite made up holiday?

Because:

10.) I was into pirates long, long, long, long, long before pirates were cool.

09.) Talk Like a Pirate Day brings all the pirates out.

08.) I know the difference between the quarterdeck and the poop deck.

07.) I know what bo’sun is short for, savvy?

06.) To me ‘sweeps’ isn’t the week all the TV networks try to get the best ratings.

05.) I spent me vacation one year geeking out in the library at Mystic Seaport.

04.) I’d happily wear me tri-corn hat every day. *Though it's a bit wide for wearing in the car.

03.) On Talk Like a Pirate Day, a wench can find out if her cap'n be truly fit for the command of her vessel by the effort he puts into the day.

02.) I like rum.

01.) On Talk Like a Pirate Day you hear bizarre things like, "Avast, don't get yer pantaloons in a bunch." or "Arrr! Drop ye britches so's I can see ye pee hole!"