What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up on a day off of school?  I’m sure its not, “Oh hey Mom, Happy Yom Kippur, or Happy Martin Luther King Day.”  If you do that, way to go, kudos to you, give yourself a pat on the back.  But most of us don’t even acknowledge that stuff.  Why do we take days off from work and school?  Because we want to acknowledge the importance of the day.  We want everyone to enjoy this day with a relaxing and work free day.  So, when everyone has the day off, it shows that the day is special and therefore, there are special circumstances, being that you don’t go to work or school.  For all the people who feel that taking off for Jewish holidays may be a little questionable, you’re in for a real treat.  The school system is considering taking off for all Muslim holidays next year as well.  Kira M. feels that the students should celebrate the Jewish holidays as well as the Muslim holidays with a day off from school, but if they get the day off, the workers should get some relief as well. 

Many people don’t celebrate the holidays at all; they don’t even acknowledge that they exist most of the time.  Sophomore Emily J. says, “I don’t celebrate the Jewish holidays, just the ones that apply to me.”  People, naturally aren’t going to celebrate the holidays that don’t apply to their beliefs, but the general holidays everyone can acknowledge. For example, Martin Luther King’s birthday, Presidents Day, and there are many more.  Everyone can at least acknowledge the day because it is important enough to take a day off for it; it should be recognized.  Now on the other side of that, breaks are needed and these days off help to give everyone one.  Kira M. says, “Students get very tired of going to school for 5 days a week for 44 weeks or so in a row, breaks are certainly needed.”  These days off may not be absolutely necessary but they give everyone a day to relax, which everyone deserves once in a while.