I'm going to date myself, but back when I was a kid we traditionally had this week off for Easter Break.
Not "Spring" Break... EASTER Break.
Everybody knew why they were getting the week off, and nobody made any bones about it : JESUS
Sure, people still took the opportunity to go on vacation, but it was clear it was courtesy of Our Lord and Savior.
Then, somewhere along the line, the communist, socialist, feminist, homosexual atheists made a stink and it was renamed "Spring Break". Once it was decoupled from the holiday, schools started scheduling just as they pleased and "Spring Break" stopped being any one actual week. My niece and nephew are both in college; she was off three weeks ago, he had last week off. This week they're back in classes and not even coming home for the weekend. Even when I started working, we still were given Good Friday off. I don't even remember when that was dropped, it was so long ago. So "Spring Break" has lost all it's religious significance and is now more about doing jello body shots down in Cabo.
Of course, being gay, the week still had some religious significance. It's the week of the White Party down in Palm Springs, a four day bacchanalia of dance parties, pool parties, casual sex, booze and an entire alphabet of recreational drugs. In the right combination, it could truly be a religious experience.
Or, so I've heard.
Actually, I haven't done the White Party in ten years, but I have fond memories of it. Not a lot of memories, but the ones I have are fond. The week usually caps off with a surprise superstar performance. One year it was Madonna. At least that's what we were told - no one in my group could remember the next day. Another year it was JLo. I think it was JLo. My eyes were vibrating so much I had a hard time focusing. Ah, wasted youth. In more ways than one. But I digress...
So, the point of this post was how Easter Week had kind of lost it's punch and wasn't any big deal anymore.
Except here in Bako.
Here, it's still Easter Week with a capital "E". All the schools are off, places are closed, people are gone. On the local news they're promoting all kinds of Easter festivities. I'd actually started to build up some momentum with work here, but this week it's come to a screeching halt. I call or e-mail and discover nobody's home. They're all off... for Easter.
I don't know why everyone's getting so pious about it. I know for a fact one of my clients is actually down in Cabo, although the thought of her and jello shots is a little too much to picture. And I was informed that another client is away at a "business conference".
A business conference? Over Easter weekend? That seems a little odd. What about the wife and kids?
Not a big deal, I was told.
"He'll be back on Sunday. He's just down in Palm Springs..."
Just in time for church, no doubt.
