Quarantine Day

2020-05-25

Today is Memorial Day. The day when we remember the soldiers who died for our country. The somber time during which we honor those who served and never returned. In 2020, it is also a day during the time when the world is slowly reopening after governments have locked down their countries. This is why I am proposing a new holiday. One that will make future generations remember all that we went through during this global health crisis.

This holiday, unlike many others, will not be celebrated with big parties or any parade or any other form of festivity. Nor will it include gathering together to remember the dead -- or gathering of any kind for that matter. Instead, during this special day, everyone will stay as far away from each other as possible. When social interaction is unavoidable (like when we suddenly need a dozen rolls of toilet paper), we will wear masks and gloves when we go out to the few places deemed essential by local authorities. All of this will help us to remember how hard life was during the long months of worldwide pandemic we had to face. We need to show future generations the difficulty of staying at home and binge-watching Netflix shows.

I propose that the name of this new holiday be "Quarantine Day", and that it should take place on the last Tuesday of every May -- right after Memorial Day. This will keep us from undermining the importance of the day, and keep on our minds the difficulty of laying on our sofas day in, day out, for weeks while only being able to speak with our loved ones via video conferences. This will give society a way to eternally ponder the sacrifice the world took to prevent the spread of a deadly disease.

One major benefit to this idea for a new holiday would be the prospect of a four day weekend. Imagine it, the last Monday and Tuesday of May being holidays. The days from Saturday to Tuesday all being days free from school, work, and other annoying responsibilities. And since the whole day is about staying at home, it can be a day of rest from the previous day of celebrating the first day of summer. After all, who hasn't wished for an extra day to re-adjust to regular week activities and honor those who endured the trauma of not being essential workers?

I encourage all who agree to sign a petition to declare an international holiday to set aside a special day to honoring everyone who selflessly stayed at home all day in quarantine.