Today we salute you, Nevada

Today, October 31, might be one of the most controversial days on the American calendar. Millions are celebrating Halloween by dressing up in scary or not-so-scary costumes to ravage the neighborhood in search of enough candy to satisfy us until Christmas candy pops up in the stores (which will realistically probably happen this week. The point is, they'll be getting a lot of candy. Some people will celebrate Halloween by completely ignoring it (this could arguably be considered not celebrating at all). Others are celebrating by renaming it and going to harvest parties. Still others are celebrating by reminding themselves of how self-righteous they are (I like to think this is a small minority, and before the complaints roll in, I don't think anyone I know does this, nor is it directed at anyone in particular; I just think it's likely that it happens.)

Halloween is controversial holiday #1

It is also Reformation Day. Actually, that was yesterday - it's the Sunday closest to Oct. 31, but 10-31 is the day that Luther actually nailed the theses on the door. Clearly, this is also a controversial holiday, because not everyone in the world is terribly happy about the Reformation. More potential cause for unrest on this day.

In light of all the social unpleasantness that surrounds today, what is a peace-loving person to celebrate? I propose to you, let's all celebrate the state of Nevada. Happy Nevada Day everyone!

Some of you may be wondering if I am just making up some random state and naming it their day. This is not true. Today in the state of Nevada, all schools, universities, and state offices are closed to commemorate the day they became a state in 1864. Let me regale you with a bit of Nevada history, courtesy of Kristen Anderson (a real life Nevadienne), www.nevadaweb.com, and www.nevadaday.com.

Let me quote Miss Anderson directly,
"OK, so Nevada was created as a territory on March 2, 1861, in order to support
the Union's cause with its silver and gold bullion (thank you Comstock Lode!).
Lincoln needed to ensure more electoral and popular votes for his re-election,
so Nevada was admitted to the Union as a state on October 31, 1864, about a
week before the national election (he won, by the way). The anniversary of
Nevada's admission is thought to have been celebrated with celebrations and
banquets as early as the 1870's, but it wasn't declared a state holiday until
1933, and since then, schoolkids like me have had an extra day off, allowing
them to party just a little bit harder over Halloween weekend."

Thank you Kristen, for enlightening us with your strange culture and history.

Some of you, dear readers, may be wondering why those of us who live outside of Nevada should care about Nevada History. Just think of where our world would be if Nevada did not exist. Where would we go to gamble our lives away without the great city of Las Vegas? Where would hard-working prostitutes be able to legally go about making a living? Do you realize we'd probably have to go to Jersey if there were no Las Vegas? Where would we fly into to visit the Grand Canyon or the Hoover Dam? And Nevada isn't just Las Vegas. There's also Reno, Carson City, and Lake Tahoe. That pretty much is it, though, but don't let that make you think less of NV.

Today we salute you, Silver State, and this proud Ohioan and future educator from the Heart-of-it-All will be writing his legislators and eagerly awaiting the day when Ohio can be off school for Nevada Day as well as take off school for its own statehood day (March 1, for my fellow Buckeyes too lazy to look up the date on their own).

Remember America,
Nevada History is Everyone's History!