Whenever there's a federal holiday, panic sets in. But it's not for the reason you're thinking of, it's because stores are either closed or have limited hours. So the day before a holiday, I find myself in grocery stores frantically stocking up on food we probably don't need because, God-forbid, the store might be closed for one stinkin' day! My year abroad in Germany is the most likely origin of this irrational fear. In Goettingen, where I lived and is true for most parts of Germany except maybe Berlin, most stores were closed on Sundays, including grocery stores.
This meant that my friends and I had to stock up enough food before Sunday in order to make it through the day, or else we'd have to eat out. And if you were a poor planner, or if you had just returned from a weekend getaway from another part of western Europe (which was often the case for us), we were stuck with nothing to eat or else a pastry from the one bakery that is open on Sundays (but only 'til 4pm). But I grew up in America, where stores open from 4am to midnight the day after Thanksgiving, and where you can count on places like McDonald's and Walgreens to be open on holidays. Capitalism at its finest, America is the land of 24-hour fast food chains, drive-through windows, take-out and delivery, and everything that is fast and convenient. No matter which holiday it is, someone is always working. Is this good for society and boosting family values? That's a topic for another blog, but I know I can't live without it!
1 comment:
I've still got my freeze-dried peanut butter from Y2K. Who was I to distrust the media when they suggested that I maintain a three month supply, just in case. We can have a feast with freeze-dried camping foods and buckets of freeze dried water.
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