This wiki has been automatically closed because there have been no edits or log actions made within the last 60 days. If you are a user (who is not the bureaucrat) that wishes for this wiki to be reopened, please request that at Requests for reopening wikis. If this wiki is not reopened within 6 months it may be deleted. Note: If you are a bureaucrat on this wiki, you can go to Special:ManageWiki and uncheck the "Closed" box to reopen it.

Public holidays in the Kingdom of Sierra

From Constructed Worlds
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 This article is a B-class article. It is written to a good standard. This article is part of Altverse II.
Public holidays in the Kingdom of Sierra
Public holidays in the Kingdom of Sierra
Public · Federal · Statutory · Observances · Festivals · School
Observed by Government of the Kingdom of Sierra
Provincial, state, and areal governments
Territorial governments
Local governments
Sierrans
Type National
Part of a series on the
Culture of the Kingdom of Sierra

Public holidays in the Kingdom of Sierra are predominantly determined and controlled by the private sector, although several major public holidays overlap with federal holidays and statutory holidays, the latter of which requires businesses to provide paid leave or premium payment to its workers on such days. Generally speaking, holidays occur during the work week (from Monday to Friday), although no level of government in the Kingdom of Sierra enforces mandatory or compulsory observance of any holiday within the private sector, and has allowed businesses to choose whether to observe a particular holiday or not. Major celebrations including Christmas and Thanksgiving tends to see the most widespread observances nationwide, with over 90% of businesses providing paid time off during such days.

Federal holidays are holidays of which government facilities and institutions must close (including but not limited to, schools, post offices, and DMVs), whereas statutory holidays are holidays in which private businesses are obligated to make special accommodations to workers. If a statutory holiday falls on a weekend, the Friday before or Monday after such holiday must be treated by the business as a day of observance, either by providing its workers paid time off or premium pay. Federal observances are days where both public and private sector facilities and services continue to operate, and are simply days of commemoration and recognition of various topics, activities, or events. A number of holidays are not federally or provincially recognized, and are not typically paid days off by businesses, but are nonetheless still widely celebrated, including the Lunar New Year and Halloween.

In addition to national holidays, there are numerous holidays celebrated at the provincial, state, areal, and territorial level, including statutory holidays or observances not covered by the federal government. Although major Christian holidays are officially observed, some Sierrans may take days off and may be compensated by their employers in order to observe their own religious holidays. Similar to federal observances, there are also dozens of informal, commemorative, and ceremonial days which are no necessarily observed, but continue to be recognized by many Sierrans, and are generally opportunities to raise awareness or express appreciation towards a particular niche interest or group.

History

Most of the modern holidays celebrated in the Kingdom of Sierra were introduced by settlers from the former United States. The major Christian holidays, Easter and Christmas, were consecrated and established as official holidays in California, the predecessor of the Kingdom of Sierra. Prior to Californian rule, Sierra had been a territory of Mexico, and before even Mexico, Spain, the both of which were predominantly Catholic, the latter of which celebrated a significant number of religious feasts and festivities that were continued under Mexico, and the Californio community in California. By the time of the Kingdom of Sierra's establishment, mostly Protestant Anglo-Americans outnumbered the Spanish-speaking Catholic Californios by 3:1, and the government of the Kingdom of Sierra was primarily made up of the Anglo-Americans, thereby preventing the inclusion of the Catholic-based holidays into the federal calendar.

Although federal holidays were initially applied to only public institutions, many businesses allowed its employees to celebrate the holidays without penalty, although only some provided appropriate compensation. The first uniquely Sierran holiday promulgated was Constitution Day, which was held on November 28, the commemorative anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution of 1858 and the creation of the Kingdom of Sierra. Constitution Day was officially established in 1862, four years after the event.

In an effort to promote "patriotism and civic nationalism", the Sierran government introduced Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans' Day, and the King's Birthday as official public holidays in 1878 after the conclusion of the Sierran Civil War, and created a subclass of holidays known as statutory, requiring businesses provide time off for its employees on designated holidays, or pay those who worked on such days time-and-a-half, and twice the standard wage for overtime work. Provincial and local governments also created their own holidays, such as Republic Day in the Styxie provinces (which continues to be held on April 13, which celebrates the day Isaiah Landon delivered the Bernheim Address, and called to arms a republican rebellion), and encouraged the observance among civilians and government officials alike. Schools and post offices were required to close on such days, print media promoted the celebration of such holidays through sponsored articles and advertising, even providing advice on how to properly celebrate, and local government officials were instructed to solicit residents to celebrate during the holidays, in an effort to increase public turnout.

Overview

Holiday Date Information Percentage of Sierrans celebrating Percentage of businesses offering paid time off Public observation?
(Federal) 		Flag raising? Statutory?
(For private)
New Year's Day January 1 The first day of the new year in the Gregorian calendar. 81% 99% Yes No Yes
Lunar New Year (Simplified Chinese: 农历新年; Vietnamese: Tết; Korean: 설날) Between late January and early February The most important holiday of the Chinese calendar, it begins on the first day of the calendar. The celebration can extend from one day to nearly two weeks. The new year also conincides a de facto celebration of East and Southeast Asian culture in general, the Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 87% 34% No No No
Valentine's Day February 14 Celebration of love, romance, and a time for Sierrans to profess their feelings for one another. Candy and cards are often exchanged. 85% 0% No No No
Remembrance Day February 27 Honors all those whom have sacrificed their lives for Sierra and humanity. 43% 19% Yes Yes No
Mardi Gras Day before Ash Wednesday; 47 days before Easter Celebration and rich eating before fasting period of Lent 48% 0% No No No
St. Patrick's Day March 17 Celebration of Irish Sierran heritage and culture. Heavy drinking and mischievous pranks often done this day. 77% 0% No No No
April Fool's Day April 1 Widespread pranks, jokes, and tricks are done to each other on this day. 38% 0% No No No
Earth Day April 22 Celebrates the environment and nature. 22% 0% No No No
Easter Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, day of observance varies from March 22 to April 25. Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover. Church attendance, egg hunting, public outings, and roast beef/ham eating is done on this day. 95% 73% No No Yes (workers are entitled a day off the Friday before or Monday after Easter, or premium pay in lieu of free day)
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish: Fifth of May) May 5 Celebration of Mexican Sierran heritage and culture. Also observed as the celebration of Latin American culture as a whole in general. 57% 5% No No No
Mother's Day Second Sunday in May Celebration of mothers and motherhood. 88% 19% No No No
Children's Day June 12 Celebration of infants, children, teenagers, and students. Traditional date when schools (excluding year round schools) end their school year and conduct graduation ceremonies. 69% 8% No No No
Father's Day Third Sunday in June Celebration of fathers and fatherhood. 61% 4% No No No
Independence Day June 14 Celebrates the independence of the Kingdom of Sierra from Mexico and Sierran heritage. 88% 57% Yes Yes No
Her Royal Majesty's Birthday August 12 (fixed since 2015) The birthday of the ruling sovereign, Elizabeth II. N/A 0% No Yes No
Labor Day September 1 Celebrates the contributions and labor of all Sierrans. 81% 92% Yes Yes Yes
Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival; Chinese: 中秋節, Vietnamese: Tết Trung Thu, Korean: 추석, Japanese: 月見) 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar Celebration of the fall harvest. Commonly observed in a Westernized form by Sierrans of all backgrounds with fairs, concerts, barbecues, and mooncakes. 70% 39% No No No
Preservation Day Second Monday of October Respect and reverence of the traditions and customs of the Kingdom of Sierran society. 57% 25% No Yes No
Election Day October 16 or the second Friday of October Date where major federal, provincial, and local elections take place. Election Day is held on the second Friday of October if the election lands on either a Saturday or Sunday. 54% 0% No Yes Yes
Halloween October 31 Children and adults dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating for candy. Also a day for partying, drinking, ghost hunting, and viewing horror movies. 90% 0% No No No
All Saints' Day November 1 Honoring saints, ancestors, and the deceased. It is called and celebrated as the Day of the Dead or Dio de Los Muertos in Mexican Sierran communities. 33% 0% No No No
Sierra Day (Constitution Day) November 27 Celebration of the promulgation of the current constitution proclaimed in 1858. 88% 96% Yes Yes Yes
Thanksgiving Day November 28 Giving thanks, blessings, and joy with family and friends. 93% 99% Yes No Yes
Christmas Day December 25 The most important Christian holiday; a traditional day chosen for the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Gifts are frequently exchanged. 95% 99% Yes No Yes
Goodwill Day December 26 A bank holiday whose exact purpose and origins is often believed to simply be a day to appreciate Christmas gifts and anticipate for the new year. 72% 74% Yes No Yes
Kwanzaa December 26 through January 1 Celebration of African-Sierran heritage and culture. 2% 0% No No No
New Year's Eve December 31 Final day of the Gregorian calendar which is celebrated with fireworks and parties. 94% 78% No No Yes

Federal and statutory holidays

Federal holidays are days which all non-essential government facilities and institutions are required to observe, by closing on such days, and all federal employees are paid regardless of them working or not on that day. There are a total of eight federal holidays, with half of them occurring during between the months of November and January during the height of the Sierran winter holiday season. The following holidays listed are federal holidays:

Federal holidays have often been erroneously interchanged with statutory holidays. While the latter does overlap with federal holiday designations, it is only applicable to private sector businesses and institutions. Statutory holidays require that employers either allow its workers to have a paid day off if they choose to observe the holiday, or to pay workers at a time and a half rate who opt to work in lieu of observing the holiday. Unlike federal holidays, if a statutory holiday falls on a weekend, businesses must treat the preceding Friday or following Monday of the holiday as though the statutory holiday fell on such date as off-days. For example, if Christmas were to fall on a Saturday of a particular year, businesses would be obliged to allow its workers time off, or increased pay on either the day before Christmas (Friday), or the Monday after. This off-day designation does not ordinarily apply to employees who have workweeks which include Saturdays and/or Sundays as workdays, or would otherwise enjoy two paid holidays (on the actual date and the off-day), in which case, a statutory holiday falling on such days would be observed normally. There are a total of nine holidays, which are as follows:

In addition to federal and statutory days, there are a number of days where the public display of the flag and other national standards are encouraged, usually due to the national significance of the holiday to Sierran history or traditions. The display or flying of flags on flag days is not mandatory, and private individuals and businesses are free to display or fly national flags whenever, as there are no legally binding statutes regarding private use of the flag. However, many civilians tend to observe such days designating flag use, and may display them in a manner endorsed by the unofficial Flag Code. Holidays which carry the flag day designation are the following:

  • Prime Ministers' Day
  • Remembrance Day
  • Jacobites' Day
  • Armed Forces' Day
  • White Rose Day
  • Independence Day
  • Her Majesty's Birthday
  • Labor Day
  • Victory Day
  • Patriot Day
  • Preservation Day
  • Election Day
  • Inauguration Day
  • Sierra (Constitution) Day

Commonly observed nonlegal holidays

In addition to federal and statutory holidays, there is a considerable amount of other holidays, known as nonlegal holidays, which are commonly observed by the Sierran public. Most of these holidays celebrated are tied to, or have origins from distinct ethnic, cultural, or religious communities, with some being celebrated universally nationwide. For most of these holidays, businesses generally do not allow workers paid time off, nor is it commonly expected, with notable exceptions.

The following nonlegal holidays are celebrated, and organized in chronological order in accordance to the Gregorian calendar:

Provincial, state, areal, and territorial holidays

Apache

  • All federal holidays
  • Navajo Mountain Chant (Last nine days of winter; cultural)
  • Navajo Night Chant (Nine days during the late fall or early winter; varies)

Bénieîle

  • All federal holidays except Remembrance Day, Sierran Independence Day, and Sierra Day
  • Custom Chief's Day (March 5)
  • Good Friday (Friday before Easter)
  • Easter Monday (Monday after Easter Sunday)
  • Labor Day (May 1)
  • Ascension Day (May 5)
  • Assumption Day (August 15)
  • Unity Day (November 29)

Cancún

  • All federal holidays except Remembrance Day, Sierran Independence Day, and Constitution Day
  • Epiphany (January 6)
  • Liberation Day (February 9)
  • Good Friday (Friday before Easter)
  • Easter Sunday (date varies; March/April)
  • Easter Monday (Monday after Easter)
  • Dia de Los Muertos (November 1-2)
  • Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12)
  • Las Posadas (December 16-24)

Central Valley

Channel Islands

Clark

  • All federal holidays
  • Clark Day (May 15)
  • Liberty Day (July 4)

Cornerstone

  • All federal holidays
  • Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
  • Founders' Day (Friday after November 27 or Constitution Day in lieu of Prime Ministers' Day)

East Leewards

Emery

Eureka

  • All federal holidays
  • Silver Day (May 10)
  • Buckaroo Day (July 21)
  • John H. Kinkead Day (December 10)

Flagstaff

  • All federal holidays
  • Grand Canyon Day (February 26)
  • Poncio Salinas Day (April 14)

Gilbert and Ellice Islands

  • All federal holidays except Remembrance Day, Independence Day, and Sierra Day
  • Health Day (April 19)
  • Gospel Day (July 11)
  • Unimwane (Elderly Men) Day (July 15)
  • Unaine (Elderly Women) Day (July 16)
  • Human Rights and Peace Day (December 11)

Gold Coast

Hawaii

Honolulu

Imperial

Inland Empire

Iron

Juab

Kamehameha

Pacífico Norte

Pacífico Sur

Plumas

Rapa Nui

Reno

San Francisco

San Joaquin

Santa Clara

Shasta

Sierran Samoa

Sonora

Tahoe

Wasatch

Washumko

West Leewards

Yucatán

Zion

Proposed holidays

Holidays on non-work days

Other observances

See also

Retrieved from "https://wiki.conworlds.org/w/index.php?title=Public_holidays_in_the_Kingdom_of_Sierra&oldid=135840"