Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Arbor Day: YES! Earth Day: NO!


I have fond memories of the Arbor Day of 1976, when my 1st Grade class planted a grove of trees on the school grounds. My uncle planted many trees on his land. I remember trees being planted by the men of my church in Palo Alto when I was 7 or 8. But I must admit that I have disliked Earth Day ever since I first heard about it in the early 1990s, it seemed to me that the people behind it disliked a lot of the things I think are important. A few years ago I discovered that the date for Earth Day is the same as V.I. Lenin's birthday. That sealed the case against Earth Day in my book. But here is an interesting article contrasting Earth Day with its predecessor tree loving holiday, Arbor Day.

Nothing reveals the essence of a people like their national holidays. This week marks the end of most Arbor Day celebrations across the United States. (Like many Victorian-era inventions, Arbor Day was individualized and idiosyncratic; most states observe it in late April and early May.) Earth Day was, of course, was always a top-down federal holiday set for April 22. (READ THE WHOLE THING HERE.)

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