random thoughts on Bank Holidays

I think we should have an Easter-style long weekend at least once a month. People just look happier when they know they're getting extra time off work, and it makes the world a better place. And I think it's ok to make plans to change the layout of Easter, and make it more regular. The whole occasion is a bit ridiculous anyway - it moves around the calendar like a Roomba moving around an office - so why not celebrate it every four weeks instead of (roughly) every year? I don't think the church would mind. It would keep them at the forefront of people's minds, and the power of repetitive behaviour may also see more people turn themselves towards religion. If you're hearing words like 'Easter', 'crucifixion' and 'resurrection' often enough, you may end up taking an interest in them and joining a congregation somewhere.
I'm trying to remember what the official wording is for the designation of Easter, and why it falls on a different date each year, but it's so weird and seemingly arbitrary that you could almost make up any old shite and it would make more sense than the actual explanation. (which I think I'll do as a blog later this week, actually!)
But my point is that everyone is nicer when they're working less. The lockdowns proved that, I think. And wasn't there going to be a big post-pandemic push for 4-day weeks, and less stress, and better conditions for all? I guess that fell by the wayside like all the other positive impacts we were hoping to see after we left the shadow of the Covid cloud.

I overheard one of those 'painful parenting' moments that we all face; where your children hit you with a question that is almost unanswerable, and you find yourself floundering as you flap about trying to find a suitable answer. During our egg-painting fun and games onsite on Saturday, a particularly sunnily-disposed cherub turned to her dad and asked, "Why do we call it Good Friday? It doesn't sound like anything good happened to Jesus that day..." I'm guessing by the looks on all the faces, none of us in the room knew the answer, but none of us had been asked, so the rest of us got to smile and enjoy the embarrassed expression on dad's face as he desperately tried to remember his R.E. lessons from school.

I hope this isn't insensitive to say, and I type it with all due respect, but you have to admire the gumption of Pope Francis to steal away the limelight from Jesus by dying on Easter Monday.
And I bet the producers of 'Conclave' are gutted that this didn't happen last year. Imagine how many extra bums on cinema seats they would have had if an actual conclave was happening at the same time that the film was showing? If I was them, I'd be thinking of rereleasing it.

RC 22-4-25