Memorial Day

I’m at work today. It is not a holiday here at the university. I’ve been told that it’s a Southern thing, or rather that Memorial Day is a “Yankee holiday,” since it was originally intended to honor soldiers who had died in the Civil War. Apparently Louisiana still observes Decoration Day on June 3rd. All Saint’s Day is also a big day to visit cemeteries around here.

I have a hard time believing that this historically black university is nursing a grudge against the North. But it may be a custom here in New Orleans to have people work on Memorial Day in order to make up for Mardi Gras.

Of course for many Americans, Memorial Day is nothing more than a three-day weekend.

On a completely unrelated note, I installed a Kenmore 10,000 BTU air conditioner at home last night. It works like a dream.