There are hundreds of reasons to hate living in Massachusetts. The weather stinks. City living is ridiculously expensive. The accents and fashion senses are just plain humiliating. Every time you walk into Store 24 or 7-11 to purchase a newspaper, you end up waiting in line for 20 minutes while losers load up on scratch cards in front of you. You can't find good Red Sox tickets, you can't afford Celtics tickets and you don't want Bruins tickets. Our football team was forced to build its stadium 30 miles outside of downtown (and we almost lost them to Hartford).Forecast is for 60 degrees and sunny. Wikipedia (who else?) has compiled a list of state- and city-specific holidays. Von Steuben Day!Wait, there's more: The Never-Ending Big Dig makes it impossible to go from one side of Boston to the other in less than 30 minutes (will that thing ever be finished?). You need to drive almost an hour out of the city to see a good concert. You can't find a good slice of pizza unless you're in the North End. The bar scene crawls with big-haired chicks and beefy guys looking to sucker-punch someone. The list goes on. Believe me.
And yet Bostonians have this one thing that nobody else in the country has -- a random day off in the middle of April, when it's finally getting warm and we can spend a guilt-free afternoon outside. Maybe the only day of the year when everyone in Boston is having fun at once. Well, except for the people running the damned [marathon].
Monday, April 19, 2010
THE SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS IS THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA: Happy Patriots Day, Bay Staters. As Bill Simmons explained in 2003, a date which justifies a reference I'm deliberately leaving in:
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Also, the Red Sox game starts at 11. If you live on the West Coast, there is literally baseball all day.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'll be in Boston late next month for a big conference--any suggestions of things that must be done? Sadly, Sox are on the road while I'm there.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the exact same thing today- while I was a Pilgrim for a short period and enjoyed it, Boston certainly has its limitations. But...that day off is so sweet. I'd love to be off today.
ReplyDeleteMatt- Assuming you haven't been there, I recommend the North End, anything by the Charles River and the Freedom Trail. I'll let the current locals give you more specific suggestions.
The California list misses one of the most absurd things of all: California Admission Day, September 9, which certain public employee unions have obtained as a paid (albeit floating) holiday. I think it is safe to assume that there is not a single public event in all of California this year on our 160th anniversary of Union (150th was mostly commemorated by license plates).
ReplyDeleteI hate you for putting that stupid Spirit of Massachusetts song in my head!!
ReplyDeleteIt's the Berkshires, it's Boston & the mighty whale......
Oh, this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/ZbH7hMKIt8Y&feature" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
I love explaining to out-of-staters why Illinois has a Casimir Pulaski Day, considering a) he never was here and b) we weren't even part of the Union until 39 years after he died.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet Bud Billiken Day is not an official holiday. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI have some very fond memories of watching the reenactments at Lexingon and Concord (different years). And screw him -- Massachusetts rawks.
ReplyDeleteMatt, if the weather's nice, it's hard to beat a walk around the Public Gardens. If it's not, you're sure to enjoy the JFK Library/Museum (though it's a bit of a hike from wherever you're likely to be). I can spend hours in the various bookstores in Harvard Square, and suspect you could, too, if you wanted.
Don't forget Boston's celebration of Evacuation Day, which conveniently falls on March 17th.
ReplyDeleteWe kind of need a Mr. Dooley parade as well, don't we?
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked in NYC for a Boston parent company (located along the Marathon route) we used to get Patriot's Day off. Perhaps I should have paid homage to my current British parent by not making the trip to the office today.
ReplyDeleteNot really a holiday since they moved it from a Monday to a weekend, but Tampa's annual Gasparilla Day used to be a February day off of school to go downtown and watch the Mardi-Gras-like parade.
ReplyDeleteBecause nobody can spell Kosciuszko.
ReplyDeleteLove having today off! Slept in, browsed a used book store, did the laundry and spent one last dry cycle at the local Starbucks (which is closing for good on Sunday). Pretty sweet for a sunny Monday.
ReplyDeleteOh Patriot's Day! How I love you.
ReplyDeleteMatt if you should find yourself in the North End during lunchtime you must try the Sicilian pizza at Galleria Umberto. They are only open for lunch, they close when they run out of pizza, and there will be a huge line. It will be worth it!
That Simmon's quote reminds me of just how much has changed in Boston since 2003. For the record, the Big Dig is pretty much done. And the city is beautiful.
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