Earlier this week, I heard that today, Friday, was a state holiday. I knew that Monday is a federal holiday, honoring Martin Luther King. I figured that someone in Virginia did a poor job planning holidays this year, and that both days were celebrating King.
We all know the famous phrase about assuming . . .
Today IS a state holiday--Lee-Jackson Day, a day in which state offices shut down to honor jointly Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Interesting.
(Can I say it's the oddest thing I've encountered here in the past five months?)
And I thought all I had to do to "be Southern" was drink sweet tea and say "y'all."
In a really odd twist, when President Reagan in 1983 declared a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Virginia decided to add it on to the already existing Lee-Jackson Day. Lee-Jackson-King Day was a single official holiday here until 2000, when King was finally given his own day.
I know we won't be celebrating Lee-Jackson Day today (although we won't do anything remarkable for MLK Day either). But it will give me pause to wonder how in the world one would have gone about celebrating Lee-Jackson-King Day . . .
9 comments:
I say you have a reenactment - revisionist of course. Lee dreamed of arming blacks to fight for their right be be slaves, King's dream was for all people to be free. And didn't Jackson get himself shot by 'friendly fire'? I say Lee arms an ancestor of King who shoots Jackson in self-defense, allowing King and the civil rights movement to take place. It all fits together quite easily from there. PS - don't post, I'm just tired.
I had forgotten that about Virginia. I think they're the only state that has a Lee day, I guess since he was from there. But he (and Jackson) were really fine men. I'm glad Virginia remembers them. (I guess I'm showing my southern side here *grin*) But you're right -- it would be odd to put MLK on the same day!
(Lori did give me permission to post this!)
This is all quite strange, Kristine. Each state does have their fair shore of oddities.
Landon said to tell you we celebrated by taking the day off school. (Well, actually, we had already planned to take the day off to go to Homeschool Day at the Daytona 500 Experience). But if there was ever a holiday my Civil War afficianado would want to have, Lee-Jackson Day would be the one!
Hi Kristine;
I'm still reading your blog, and have borrowed your idea of taking a photo 365. What a great idea, and I hope whomever came up with this doesn't mind if I do it too. I love taking pictures, and I've been sending in some of mine to the local TV station where I'm a weather watcher. They have posted quite a few so far. They either like them or are hard up for news ! LOL.
By the way, where is your picture for the 18th ?
Probably a big snow storm coming our way tomorrow and Sunday. I'll be sure and send a picture or two to Robert.
Take care guys.
Becky
Definitely a reenactment!
I'm with everyone else... have a re-enactment, of course!
Our parish doesn't call it MKL Day - they call it Human Relations Day. Whatever.
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