Make the most of a midweek holiday

Even a single day off can be memorable if treated with intention

Today is Juneteenth in the United States — a holiday commemorating emancipation. It’s a great chance to learn more about that chapter of history, and to attend community celebrations.

As an official federal holiday it is also, for many people, a day off of work or school. Many federal holidays — by decree — fall on the same day of the week (usually Monday) each year, but Juneteenth, like the 4th of July, always falls on a particular date. That means that these two summer holidays can sometimes land in the middle of the week.

I’m guessing a number of people will decide to take this Friday off and make a long weekend out of it. This gets more complicated, though, if a federal holiday falls on a Wednesday (as July 4th did in 2018, for instance). Especially if your office is only closed for the holiday itself, it can be easy to see a midweek holiday disappear into nothing particularly memorable.

But even a midweek holiday can be a chance to pause, reflect, renew your energy, and enjoy your family and community. Here are some ways to make the most of this time.

Know it’s coming up. One reason to review the calendar at least seasonally is that you see when holidays will be. If you will want to take a day or two off around July 4th, for instance, arranging for that in April will be easier than figuring it out in late June. Knowing a holiday is coming up can also prevent any last minute logistical challenges. Many schools and camps are closed on June 19th, but because it is a newly designated federal holiday (even if people have been celebrating Juneteenth itself for over 150 years), not everyone has built that into their childcare plans. We always see this with the major Jewish holidays. My children’s schools are closed for these holidays (which are often midweek) but because that’s not our religion, I’ve had to learn to build them into my mental model of the year, along with election day — always a Tuesday — which they also have off.

Set at least one intention. It’s good to make a holiday feel a little different. Before the day itself, choose at least one thing to do or go to so the day feels more memorable. It could be a July 4th fireworks show, or a community Juneteenth celebration, but it could also be a neighborhood potluck, a service project, a hike (we often go see the fall leaves on election day), a trip to a historic site, or a visit to a museum for a special exhibit. Plan ahead of time, and figure out the logistics, so you don’t spend the holiday itself deciding what you want to do. Think about what you’ll tell people back at the office when they ask what you did yesterday. It’s good to have something!