Maybe, it’s because winter is for many the hardest of seasons, but Christmas and Kwanzaa – Hanukkah came early this year, in the fall – begin a bonanza of winter holidays and events. Think about New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, then the proverbial letdown. Or is it but a respite? Time to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday (historically Jan. 15 but officially Jan. 17 in 2022) and, every four years, a presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. The end of January brings us to the NFL playoffs to prime us for the Super Bowl Feb. 13.
February may only have 28 days, but it’s a super duper month of celebrations – beginning with African American History Month and Chinese New Year, Feb. 1 next year. Then it’s on the controversial Beijing Winter Olympics (Feb. 4 through 20), which the White House is boycotting diplomatically, citing various human rights abuses by China, and Presidents’ Day (Feb. 21).
Still not enough? Mardi Gras is March 1, followed by the beginning of Lent (March 2) – a time for penance and reflection, true, but never on Sunday, as the saying goes, and certainly not on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17).
Three days later, spring arrives, ushering in another round of holydays and holidays like Passover (beginning April 15) and Easter (April 17).
So in the winter drear, be of good cheer – and keep those appointment books handy.
