Today’s Book Blogger Hop question is: Have you ever wished that there were official government bookish holidays, and that, by law, employers HAD to give their workers a paid day off? If so, what kind of bookish holiday would you like to have?
I’ve rather thought that Shakespeare’s birthday (April 23rd) would make a nice holiday. In college, I was in a Renaissance-but-heavily-Shakespeare class that happened to meet on Shakespeare’s birthday (and since we only met once a week, it was actually a pretty lucky chance). I brought cookies in to celebrate. 🙂 Mostly just because, but also a little bit because I’m a Stratfordian (I believe William Shakespeare of Stratford, who was born on April 23rd, wrote the plays), and I knew my professor was decidedly not… Nothing like fighting a literary war with cookies!
If Shakespeare’s birthday was an official holiday, obviously it should be celebrated with Shakespearean plays. And maybe something to do with dragons, considering it’s also St. George’s Day.
November 30th would make a good writing holiday–it’s the birthday of L. M. Montgomery, Mark Twain and Winston Churchill (prime minister, but also a writer). Plus, it’s the last day of National Novel Writing Month, so a final-day celebration seems both appropriate, and helpful to all the writers who need a day off to get their final words written.
I tried to think of a fictional holiday in a book that I’d like to see really celebrated, but I came up blank. The only one I thought of was Hogswatch from Discworld, but that’s very close to Christmas (with more meat pies).
Are there any bookish holidays you’d like to see celebrated? Any holidays from books, or holidays celebrating books?
Totally agreed that Shakespeare’s birthday would make a great holiday (and that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare)! I would also pull for Jane Austen’s birthday, which is December 16. But perhaps that’s too close to Christmas? Then again, many people need a holiday before the holidays! 🙂
I think those would be perfect holidays to celebrate. I know many schools around here celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday–holding themed events every day for the week his birthday falls. I always thought that was neat. Before my mom retired, she would always make her students green eggs and ham. I hope you have a great weekend!
Those both seem like good choices! I agree that having bookish holidays would be good, but can’t think of anything else in particular. Maybe just a D.E.A.R. for everyone, instead of just sometimes in schools.