The privatization of holidays

The struggle over holidays oddly mirrors the intractable struggle between market and state, so that we have Labor Day, Presidents Day, and Memorial Day etc. for those who find their meaning in official civic celebrations. But for millions of others, a new calendar of sorts is starting to emerge that secedes entirely from the attempted nationalization of dates by the state. And thus is today International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Absurd? Maybe, but this thing does seem to be taking off: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. The British press reports that soldiers in Iraq will celebrate by wearing eye patches. Sure beats days set aside to celebrate the state.