Well, I didn't know that. I always thought that they made the holiday to honor both Washington & Lincoln. Personally, the Monday holidays irritate me. It seems like they were instituted to benefit the travel industry as opposed to honoring the person (e.g. Washington) or the events (e.g. Memorial Day). But then maybe I'm just being a curmudgeon.

Some of them really make you wonder. My first thought was is that what it looks like? Then I thought maybe the person that named it, stew and haggis are their two most favorite things in the whole wide world? But then I looked at your link and it says at the bottom it was named after a German folk band. I guess that's a little more understandable. This post was edited by garden2garden on Mon, Jun 17, 13 at 10:22

I call it a holiday because I don't feel the need to make everyone feel the same way. I celebrate the holiday because it's fun to be a part of things, not because I believe in the "origins" of it. Would you feel equally sure that you were right if all the stores began wishing you happy XXXX for all the other religions? Or would you then say it should be nondenominational because you didn't enjoy having someone else's beliefs thrust upon you. It's easy to have an opinion about something dear to you, but do you support the parallel argument as well? I suspect not. You also said "our largely secular society" in your post. To me that says it all. Perhaps there are more people who see it in a secular way than a religious one. In that case (and I'm basing it on your own words) perhaps this is an issue of a small vocal group trying to put forth an agenda of their own against a majority. No one is stopping you from saying "Merry Christmas." Why are you so strongly in favour of forcing others to do so. The people who produce cards and run stores are basing their decisions on the wants of the largest groups. It's financial. Apparently their target demographic is larger. I think everyone should be free to celebrate what they want as they want. I don't get the sense that the OP feels that at all. To each his own I guess.

Hi Tikanas! I'll answer to this! My Diet Chat name is Wild_Chicken because one of my favorite things to hear and see are the wild chickens, while hiking in one of my favorite places, Kauai. Some people call me BJ, my initials, but I prefer to be called Wild_Chicken to keep my privacy in case any of my relatives or friends are lurking in on me! :) Married, I have 4 kids, all girls, and no pets. My interests change every year, as I am always trying some new hobby or sport that I find I enjoy! I immerse myself in it for a year or more and I'm off to something else. However, I have always enjoyed hiking in whatever place I'm visiting. I hike at a fast pace and enjoy it! I like taking a camera and getting nature shots while I'm out there. I love talking with my kids, hot climates, watching things grow, seeing GOOD, non-violent movies, and cooking meals for people. I like reading in a library setting and get a library card at the local library as soon as I hit town! Lastly, I like to believe you're never too old for anything if you're in shape to try it...so take care of your health and see a doc yearly! As far as weight and diet goes, I am on a HER athlete-based sort of a plan: whole foods, no preservatives, and I eat SMALL meals every 3 or 4 hours, about 6 meals a day total. I try to combine a little protein and carb in each meal. This has keep me on track and I'm not hungry. Most of my food is refrigerator stuff, fresh and from the outside aisle in the grocery: veggies, fruit, whole grain, nutty bread, yogurt, and nuts. This, I find, keeps me CHARGED UP and ready to go! It also reminds me to get out there and MOVE! I have lost over 50 pounds (on WW, SS, and the HER althlete-based plan) and have 12 more pounds to lose B4 I'm at goal! I am hypothyroid and take meds for that; it doesn't make losing weight any easier! I detest sit-ups and push-ups, but try to do them anyway....lol.