Not Every Citizen Shares the Joy When Holidays Are Specifically For Families

February is stuffed with holidays, but Valentine's Day sucks up all the press. The US also celebrates Presidents Day and Black History Month. Now I'm learning about Family Day that is special in many Canadian provinces representing nearly two-thirds of Canadians. Family Day is just what it sounds like -- it was created to give people time to spend with their families.

This holiday was first observed in Alberta in 1990, followed by Saskatchewan (2007), Ontario (2008) and British Columbia (2013).

But, Family Day is not a national statutory holiday, so not everyone in participating provinces gets the day off, especially government and postal workers. Family Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February in New Brunswick, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan. British Columbia chose a different day, but they'll share the standard date starting in 2019.

I know all this because of this eye-catching headline Google found from British Columbia:

"Screw Family Day, where’s our Child Free and Lovin’ It Day?"

The accompanying opinion piece in the Vancouver Courier ran in a section called "Kudos and Kvetches:

[Family Day is when] "parental units and their ungrateful spawn clog roadways, public transit, shopping centres, border crossings, the seawall, breweries and once peaceful coffee shops to bask in the radiance of their reproduction and contribution to disproportionate depletion of the world’s resources."

So...that's pretty clear. The writer goes on to propose "Childless Day, Child-Free Day or Celebration of Personal Freedom Day".

That left me curious, wondering where else childless and childfree residents might be left out of a "family" holiday. Those places are Australia, South Africa, Vietnam, the island republic of Vanuatu and the US state of Nevada.

Of course, Canadians without kids could visit their parents or relatives, IF they have a good relationship, and live near each other, and everybody has the day off, and all the stars align.