Who Comes Up With These Silly Holidays?

I found out that last Friday was Talk Like a Pirate Day. Who declares such things? It's ridiculous that we've turned the celebrations of our Lord's birth and resurrection into commercial, churchless candy-fests in the first place. Thanksgiving and Independence Day have lost their patriotic significance; now it's just turkey and fireworks. Now we have Talk Like a Pirate Day? What's a holiday anymore?

Pixar's recent superhero movie, The Incredibles, made a point of saying that when everyone is special, no one is. Well, okay, that was the villain's catchphrase; however, if the idea is applied to calendar days, it's true. No single day stands out as a special day anymore (no single day stands out as ordinary either). Do we really need to give flowers to the person who answers our phone for us? Do we need one day, let alone two, where we try to reconnect with a special someone that we've neglected the rest of the year by buying her chocolates and teddy bears? Does each week really need a day just for margaritas or champagne? No.

These are just excuses to celebrate sin and vice in our lives. An excuse to not exhibit self-control just this once. No wonder our diets don't work and we can't stick to New Year's resolutions (ha!): every single day is a celebration, a party, a get-out-of-trouble-free-because-it's-a-holiday card.

I'm glad we live under God's grace. If we didn't, I have a feeling He would be quite jealous of us dedicating so much time and attention to scaring our kids silly while running up a dental bill. Do I dare say it? Sure, why not? These things we give such honor to are nothing more than dumb idols (dumb with two meanings there).

Now that I've ranted, would someone please check my writing for errors? After all, today is National Punctuation Day.