Public Holidays
There is often debate about when, and sometimes if, a public holiday should be celebrated within particular nations. For example, in recent years in Australia there is contention each year about whether one of its national public holidays - Australia Day - should occur on the 26th of January. Some people believe that it should occur on this day, as it currently does, whilst others believe that it should be moved to another date that is more culturally sensitive to the original inhabitants of Australia.
The Purist solution is that citizens be provided a certain number of variable-date public holidays each year, that they can use on whichever day, for whichever reason. That is, each public holiday is ultimately allocated for the purpose of rest from work and so people can use then when and how they choose. Under this framework, public holidays are not mandated to occur on specific days for all citizens, as they currently are. This solves the debate about whether a specific public holiday, such as Australia Day, should be moved or cancelled. In this example, those who choose to celebrate Australia Day on the 26th of January could continue to do so, whilst those who do not choose to celebrate it on this date would go to work as usual. They may choose to celebrate Australia Day on another day or not at all; celebrating Australia Day would be optional, as is the celebration of each of the other seven Australian public holidays:
Notably, the above argument assumes that the restorative qualities of the holiday are needed and that the nature of the specific above holidays are wanted, not needed, by those who celebrate them. For example, it assumes that people need a Christmas day off to rest, but they do not specifically need to celebrate Christmas, nor do they need to do so on the 25th December. On the contrary, in accordance with the need for a separation of politics and government, Christmas should not be a mandated public holiday; there must be a separation of church and state. Rather, citizens should be able to choose to use one (or more) of their variable public holidays to celebrate Christmas, even though it would no longer be officially called Christmas Day (but rather, for example, the 7th Variable Holiday of the year).
If a government determined that the nature of a particular holiday was needed beyond simply providing rest and time off work, then this would influence whether it is a variable or mandated public holiday. For example a government may determine that the Australian public holiday, ANZAC Day, is needed (required) to remind citizens of the need to be grateful to those who serve and have sacrificed. If this is the case - that the nature of ANZAC day is needed, not wanted - then ANZAC day may remain as a mandated public holiday for all citizens on the 25th April.
The Purist solution is that citizens be provided a certain number of variable-date public holidays each year, that they can use on whichever day, for whichever reason. That is, each public holiday is ultimately allocated for the purpose of rest from work and so people can use then when and how they choose. Under this framework, public holidays are not mandated to occur on specific days for all citizens, as they currently are. This solves the debate about whether a specific public holiday, such as Australia Day, should be moved or cancelled. In this example, those who choose to celebrate Australia Day on the 26th of January could continue to do so, whilst those who do not choose to celebrate it on this date would go to work as usual. They may choose to celebrate Australia Day on another day or not at all; celebrating Australia Day would be optional, as is the celebration of each of the other seven Australian public holidays:
Notably, the above argument assumes that the restorative qualities of the holiday are needed and that the nature of the specific above holidays are wanted, not needed, by those who celebrate them. For example, it assumes that people need a Christmas day off to rest, but they do not specifically need to celebrate Christmas, nor do they need to do so on the 25th December. On the contrary, in accordance with the need for a separation of politics and government, Christmas should not be a mandated public holiday; there must be a separation of church and state. Rather, citizens should be able to choose to use one (or more) of their variable public holidays to celebrate Christmas, even though it would no longer be officially called Christmas Day (but rather, for example, the 7th Variable Holiday of the year).
If a government determined that the nature of a particular holiday was needed beyond simply providing rest and time off work, then this would influence whether it is a variable or mandated public holiday. For example a government may determine that the Australian public holiday, ANZAC Day, is needed (required) to remind citizens of the need to be grateful to those who serve and have sacrificed. If this is the case - that the nature of ANZAC day is needed, not wanted - then ANZAC day may remain as a mandated public holiday for all citizens on the 25th April.