BETAMAXNOMATES
'All she can do is dial and yell...'20080721
HAPPY MARINE DAY EVERYONE!
Marine Day? What's that then? Why, it's a spurious holiday of course, of which there are many in Japan. Marine Day (literally 'Umi no Hi' or 'Ocean Day') was established in 1995 to give thanks to the sea or celebrate the gifts of the sea or something. Back in May we had Greenery Day (thanks trees) and Children's Day. In September we have Respect-The-Aged Day and then - my favourite - Health And Fitness Day, supposedly set up to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Later in the year there's Culture Day and Praise Labour Day where you celebrate working by, well, not working. Spurious holidays (full list here) are great because you get the day off but you don't have to buy gifts or cards for anyone or any of that nonsense. That's why I'm drawing up a list of ideas for more spurious holidays to be instated over the coming months.
Firstly, Moon Day (the third Monday - eh? - in August) to celebrate the moon, the nice reflections it makes on the sea at night, it's control over the tides and ladyfolks menstrual cycles (as is my understanding), and its shimmery understated niceness in general. Not like that overrated ball of gas, the Sun. Besides that already has its own day - every bloody week. Secondly, Bacon Day (last Wednesday in April) paying tribute to bacon in its many delicious forms. Eating bacon on this day is compulsory and should be accompanied by a sombre ceremony or ritual of some kind, possible involving chants. Similarly, Say No To Wheat Day (first Thursday in June) is not so much about not eating wheat (though that obviously forms a large part of it) but about publicly rejecting wheat, chiding it even - stopping at the deli to tut in disapproval, shunning the baker when you see him on the street, and ridding oneself of all wheat-based products. Ever seen a man say goodbye to a baguette? I have and it still gives me nightmares today. Finally, Live Your Day Like It's A Sitcom Day (first Friday of July) involves, well, living your life as if it were a sitcom. This entails hatching hare-brained schemes with your buddies, going on a first date (with disastrous results), and just generally mooching around coffee houses discuss the minutiae of everyday life in a light-hearted and amusing fashion.
That's all I can think of right now. I'm off to celebrate the gifts of the sea the only way I know how.
That's all I can think of right now. I'm off to celebrate the gifts of the sea the only way I know how.
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