A Life Without Holidays

This weekend was Valentine's Day, which got me thinking about holidays and other date/ purpose specific celebrations.  I've written previously about my general dislike for obliged gift giving and reciprocation thereof, but this time I think that I'll assail holidays in general.  

Scrooge was taught to keep Christmas in his hearth throughout the year.  The same principal could be applied to any holiday.  If you are in a relationship, keep Valentine's day in your heart throughout the year.  The holiday and the traditions associated with it are there as a reminder to perform acts and displays of affection and devotion, because frankly people forget.  Listening to the Dr. Laura radio show, the majority of callers looking for help are advised to overtly show their lover that they care about them.  That alone seems to resolve tons of relationship issues.  Holidays and their traditions are there as reminders that serve some social function, whether it is to strengthen family bonds (however often it actually works is up in the air) at Thanksgiving, give people an excuse to dress up an express themselves in disguise at halloween, promote altruism at Christmas.

But this is the twenty first century!  Aren't we as a society and as individuals above the necessity of tradition?  Once we know the purpose of the tradition, can't we find a suitable substitute for it that doesn't oblige us to the limitations that having a holiday on a specific date presents us?  If a husband tells his wife that he loves her on their anniversary, it won't make up for not saying it the rest of the year, but not saying it on that day has bigger consequences than not saying it any other day because of the importance of the calendar date, not the sentiment.  Essentially, having the reminder on a specific date, and then associating importance with that date is deleterious to the intent of the holiday.  Celebrating keeps you at status quo while not celebrating costs you something.

If we were to switch to a system where there were year round public reminders of the virtues espoused by our holidays, would people actually apply those virtues more?  Sadly, I doubt it.  People would just learn to ignore the reminders, staying at the status quo all year.  Having a cost associated with not exemplifying the virtue on a certain date reinforces the behavior, even if only for the period when the holiday is actively on our minds.