Americana / Christianity / Hong Kong / Politics / Social Commentary

“Good Friday” still good in Iowa

Written by Steve on March 31, 2010

“Good Friday” still good in Iowa


Here’s what one Iowa town thought was a great political idea. Let’s suddenly change the name of a 2000 year old holiday and one that’s been celebrated in the town since practically its founding because maybe, just maybe…someone perhaps…possibly could be offended by it.

That’s what the city of Davenport Iowa did this week when it followed the suggestion from their civil rights commission to change the name of the Good Friday holiday to the “Spring Holiday”. You have to wonder how hammered you’d have to be on cheap malt liquor before that suddenly became a good idea.

Seems City Administrator Chris Main didn’t even have it within his power to do when he sent around a memo to all city officials declaring the change. Council members were caught off guard when they found out they had been circumvented and after a hoopla where the town population nearly crippled the phone lines with angry calls to city hall, the short lived “Spring Holiday” quickly reverted back to “Good Friday”.

Score one for common sense. Even here in Hong Kong it is a bank holiday on Good Friday!

Hey, I know a good idea. Speaking of Hong Kong. We will have a public holiday next week called “Ching Ming” where traditionally the Chinese will visit and sweep the graves of their deceased relatives. Yet there are tens of thousands of non-Chinese that live here and could be offended by the exclusiveness of the holiday. Perhaps I should lobby to have the holiday name changed to the “Spring Sweep” complete with Bar-B-Q and fireworks…

…yeah, that would be a good idea.

4 comments

  • Regardless of my current non-Christian state, things like this irritate me to no end.

    If the city wants to do away with a religious holiday then have the balls to do it. Don’t play the name game.

    It is a whole separate issue (for me anyway) whether or not government workers should get a paid holiday for a religious observance.

    Schools are out around here this week for Spring Break. When I was a kid it was EASTER break.

    I don’t like the name change game. It really irritates me. Did I mention this irritates me. 🙂

    Hey Bro…baseball 5 days a way.

    Bruce

  • Yeah Bruce when I was a kid it was Easter holiday as well. Its funny how in “Christian” America its difficult to even have “easter holiday” but here in Hong Kong, which as of 13 years ago is under the soverignty of the People’s Republic of China, even the non-Christian teachers are telling me what they are going to be doing for Easter break. So in religious America we have spring break but in “China” we have Easter break.

    Crazy!! And yes…thank God baseball starts soon

  • Good to see common sense prevail! Ironically Good Friday is also a legal holiday in India…which is predominantly Hindu.

    By the way Steve, any thoughts coming on health care reform?

  • You know Logan…on the Left they argue that although the health care bill is far from perfect, its a first step toward comprehensive coverage (which I support in principal)… but of course on the Right they believe this is ushering in the anti-Christ!

    I really believe no one really knows until we role the dice and see what comes up.

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