Why don't we have a major holiday celebrating science and technology?

[Jed Dilligan]

We have holidays celebrating political heroes, relationships (Valentine's, Mothers' Day, etc.), the family (Christmas and other wintertime religious holidays), the workforce (Labor Day), agriculture (Thanksgiving), and the military (Memorial and Veterans' Days). These are all important parts of what we are and how we live, but increasingly the benefits of science and technology are just as ubiquitous in our lives as any of these other things. Shouldn't there be a day to honor that with events where kids get exposed to science or tech (open houses at tech companies, reduced admission at aquariums, etc.) Half the holidays were manufactured anyway, it seems like we could make something like this happen.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Same reason newspapers devote one page a month to science, and 1200 to sports.

Americans are fucking stupid.

I sometimes feel like running for president; and then sometimes I think, "Why bother? They're too goddamned stupid to have me as their president. I deserve better than that."

[Jed Dilligan]

3. You discount all the geeks out there.

There have to be at least ten million people in this country who are passionately interested in science and technology. Do that many people actually do veteran stuff on Veterans' Day?

[shadowknows69]

2. Why do you hate Santa Christ?

[Jed Dilligan]

4. He didn't bring me enough geek toys.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. OP is a witch! n/t

[Recursion]

5. April Fools Day is the unofficial Internet holiday; Or St. Patrick's Day

And the spirit of April Fools Day seems to attract a lot of scientists and technologists.

St. Patrick is the patron saint of engineers; that's another option and roughly in the same part of the year.

[InvisibleTouch]

6. I'm all for Darwin Day! :) n/t

[HeresyLives]

7. Well we have Darwin Day

http://www.darwinday.org/

There is Yuri's Night

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri's_Night

And some people celebrate Sir Isaac Newton's birthday on Dec 25.

But I agree, we need far more, to reflect the new century and the knowledge age.

[Jed Dilligan]

8. Einstein would be less politically charged

I would rather it be something broader and more inclusive than one scientist (or astronaut).

[HeresyLives]

10. Hey, it's what we have.

[slampoet]

9. We did. It was called Victory over Japan day.

Then someone realized that celebrating that particular science and tech wasn't the best idea.

[Jed Dilligan]

13. I think of V-J Day (not exactly a major holiday)

as commemorating the contributions of the military more than the Manhattan Project.

[slampoet]

16. You would think but then why is it on the days of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and NOT .....

......on the actual day they surrendered?

Here in Rhode Island we are the last state to celebrate this holiday and i can tell you, for the last 15 years it has come closer to the bombing days than the surrender date.

[Jed Dilligan]

18. I didn't know it moved around.

[slampoet]

23. They try to link it to a weekend here to give an Aug holiday. Banks and govt observe it on a Monday.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. What's science and technology? n/t

[WinkyDink]

14. Thanksgiving celebrates agriculture?

[Jed Dilligan]

19. It's a harvest holiday, in essence.

There's God in there for some people but what we're really being thankful for is corn, turkey, squash, beans--the gifts of Quetzalcoatl.

[riverdeep]

15. Funny, isn't it?

Science has lengthened our lifespans, it's kept kids alive who would otherwise be dead, it's allowed us to travel under water, outer space, and the places of our dreams, it's given us a power that the mystics and wizards of the past could only dream about (though use of that power hasn't always been so wise), and generally taken us away from that demon-haunted world where your crops grow not because of your understanding of the nitrogen cycle, but because the gods are pleased.

But science is routinely ignored by the mainstream of society at all levels. People interested in science are given low social status and termed 'geeks'. Meanwhile, sports is worshipped beyond all proportion of benefit. Immediately after some team wins over another team, the world is EXACTLY like it was before, except in the minds of fans.

[carlyhippy]

17. There is Mole Day coming up on the 23rd

celebrated at some schools, but other than that I cannot think of any science/tech day...that is truly sad now that I think of it.

[Dr. Strange]

22. And Pi Day in March!

[YankeyMCC]

20. Odd omission isn't it...even more odd

July 20th, the anniversary of the first manned Luna landing is celebrated as "Día del Amigo" (Friendship day) in several countries. As I understand it the spirit of the holiday is to celebrate our common humanity but science and technology is at the foundation of the events that brought the world together...in fact I think this is demonstrates a little bit why a secular morality and ethic is much superior to a religion based ethical system but I digress...

Interestng that the anniversary of the Luna landing is given more significance outside the US than here.

And of course someone has already mentioned Darwin Day which does get some pretty good attention in other countries.

[IDemo]

21. That will always be July 20 for me