It never ceases to amaze me the awesome power of the statutory holiday. The thought hadn't occurred to me until a young woman coming to do a University exchange from England asked me on the Greyhound bus we were sharing, "Is it true Canada has a lot of bank holidays?" I laughed when I realized it was, telling her there is one in every month but June* (but that some months have two)! That left her wide-eyed and impressed and me proud that we under the maple leaf flag knew how to pump up our calendars.
(*note: I do realize that depending of the whims of Easter one of April or March is stat-holiday free, but the fact of there being both a Monday AND a Friday balances it out in my mind.)
I can remember in high school with my minimum wage job crossing my fingers in anticipation of the holiday-week's schedule dreaming of the huge cash in with overtime pay. On the other hand, I also remember - more recently and more delightfully - of being able to concoct all kinds of wonderful travel adventures only taking a fraction of the actual allocated holiday-days off. (Who knows what I was saving them for this time!)
Statutor-ically celebrating with jovial jaunts to the province next door, or complicated cheap connecting flights to explore slightly foreign places. Nonetheless, with the proliferation of inherent holidays in my home country I am not only imbued with national pride but I am kicking my feet up FULL of gratitude on this Thanksgiving day-off.
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