Drop That Day Off! A Strong Case for Scrapping Whit Monday
Time for eliminating a celebrated event! - Let's take action and eliminate an existing holiday for good!
Ah, Whit Monday! A holiday many of us enjoy when we get to chill at home, right? Yet, sadly, most can't tell you what Whit, bless its soul, actually represents. According to a YouGov survey, a jaw-dropping 62% of East Germans and 55% of West Germans don't have a clue what it's about. A paltry 5% attend church services celebrating its significance. So, why are we wasting an entire workday over it, you ask? Well, big surprise, your friendly Catholic author here thinks it's high time we can the whole thing.
Bye-Bye to Holidays, Hello to Free Time
The mere suggestion of moving around holidays such as Whit Monday or Ascension Day leaves many shaking their heads. "But shouldn't we have holidays for family time and relaxation?" they cry. Well, back in the day, when people were grinding it out for 48 hours a week with commuting to boot, this argument held water. But come the 1960s, trade unions brought about the five-day workweek, which reduced the working week to 40 hours. And guess what? They gained 52 potential family holidays a year! Now, with German workers clocking in at an average of 34.8 hours a week, lowest in the EU, people are discussing the four-day workweek.
Why all this fuss over more time off? Simple. Even leisure can be stressful. Not the way people like to spending their extra days – browsing the internet, watching TV, blasting tunes, hogging their devices, or engaging in digital nonsense on their smartphones. Maybe it's time to toss Whit Monday out the window and let the economy breathe!
Boost the Economy, and School Grades
Ditching Whit Monday might just be the kick in the pants this economy needs. Pulling the plug on one lousy day bumps up annual working time by a meager 0.4%. Sure, it'll help us emerge from this pesky economic crisis, which frankly seems endless. But that's not the real kicker. For starters, the shops would remain open, with 87% of retail sales still taking place offline. We'd be rolling in taxes, social security contributions, and VAT!
More importantly, schools would be in session. It's no secret that Germany's students perform dismally in international comparisons. Why wouldn't we leverate Whit Monday to get these kids learning German, math, science, languages, and philosophy? You'd be amazed how many hours 15-year-olds waste on their smartphones, nearly seven hours a day according to the OECD. Incredible!
Armed with this newfound knowledge, students might even grasp that Whit is also about global understanding and fighting stuffy nationalism!
So, what's the verdict? Ready to ditch Whit Monday and drive this economy forward?
Disagree? Check out my colleague Matthias Urbach's opposing viewpoint here.
- Holiday
- Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday)
- Ascension Day
- Germany
- Catholicism
- Public Opinion
- Economy
- Leisure
- Education
- Religion
- Tradition
- Vocational training could be more extensively utilized during Whit Monday, offering East and West Germans an opportunity to enhance their skills and contribute to the economy.
- In the fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, and cars industries, Whit Monday could serve as a platform for trading events, boosting sales, and strengthening business relationships.
- Instead of using Whit Monday for leisure activities such as browsing the internet or watching TV, individuals could engage in shopping sprees, supporting local businesses and contributing to the economy.
- Whit Monday, with its historical significance rooted in global understanding and fighting nationalism, could also serve as an occasion to promote education about these values, inspiring young people to embrace diversity and tolerance.
- Schools remaining open during Whit Monday would not only ensure continuous learning but also provide a sanctuary for students to refocus on their studies, potentially improving their grades and the nation's performance in international comparisons.
