Next week there won't be a dispatch. I'm off to endure the Canadian winter and eat too many Lindt chocolates. Not-Ship will return to wrap up the year with you on December 31. Happy holidays!
💙 Amanda
In just over a week, most Not-Ship readers will have a day off. It's a safe bet, even with a global audience. About 150 countries recognize December 25 as a public holiday. That covers over 5.5 billion people.
There is one day in the year, however, where even more people are off work. One day when nearly 6 billion people — almost three quarters of the global population — have a public holiday.
Can you guess what it is? I'll admit, it surprised me.
A public holiday is a legal day off, one recognized by the government. Think Independence Day, New Year's Day, or Eid. They are different from observances, which are days acknowledged as significant, but don't mean business closures. And don't get them confused with the legal number of vacation days that workers are entitled to. That's something different.
Some countries are more stingy with their public holidays than others. With 31 national days off, Nepal has the most of any country.
Most countries have more public holidays than the UK or the US
The number of public holidays in each country, in 2019
A couple of notes about this data, which is from researchers at the University of Southampton. Regional holidays won't show up in the counts. For example, the number of public holidays for the United Kingdom reflects only those that are UK-wide. All other days off are specific to Wales, Scotland, England, or Northern Ireland. Also, this data is from 2019, so these numbers may differ slightly today.
Keeping track in Nepal, for one, is tricky — the government tends to announce new public holidays out of the blue. But that's only part of why the country has so many. Nepal's ethnic and religious diversity means days off for Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and civic observances. The holidays also compensate for a six-day work week.
But back to the question: Which single day is a public holiday for the most people around the world? December 25 is, in fact, the day recognized by the most countries as a national holiday. However, population matters. A day observed in China, for example, affects far more people than one celebrated across dozens of smaller nations.
So, when we consider population data, we find one date that's a public holiday for nearly 6 billion people. It's not a religious holiday. It's not a New Year's celebration. It's May 1.
This may confuse my North American and British readers. In Canada and the US this day is observed in September, and in the UK it's not a holiday at all.
That's right. It's Labour Day.
For most people in the world, May 1 is a public holiday
The number of people covered by a public holiday on each day of the year
May 1 became associated with labour movements in the late 1800s, and it spread globally throughout the 20th century. Now, France observes Labour Day. Mexico observes Labour Day. Cuba observes Labour Day. Even China observes Labour Day. It's the closest thing we have to a global holiday.
So there's your conversation starter for the upcoming festivities. Enjoy your time off. I hope it's filled with rest and good company. I'll be back here, champagne in hand, on December 31.
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FROM ELSEWHERE
Here's what I found interesting, important or delightful this week:
How did I miss this?! Last week I wrote about a study of pedestrian behaviour, including an anecdote about how William H. Whyte thought his urban data visualizations should be turned into music. Well, MIT Senseable City Lab, who was involved in the study, did just that. Thank you to Jingrong Zhang for sending Street Scores my way!
From page to place. The Straits Times has published a beautiful interactive mapping Singapore's literary geography — the places that appear repeatedly in novels about the country.
The psychology of buying a Christmas tree. On the surface, this piece is about Colorado holiday pricing. Deep down, it's about why you paid $250 for a tree that'll be dead in three weeks. Behavioral economics in action.
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Amanda Shendruk
Amanda Shendruk
Amanda Shendruk
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