Hallmark holiday
| Hallmark holidays in the United States | |
|---|---|
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| Observed by | Commercial entities |
| Type | National |
"Hallmark holiday" is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe a holiday that is perceived to exist primarily for commercial purposes, rather than to commemorate a traditionally or historically significant event. The name comes from Hallmark Cards, a privately owned American company, that benefits from such manufactured events through sales of greeting cards and other items. Holidays that have been referred to as "Hallmark holidays" include Grandparents Day, Sweetest Day, Boss's Day, and Secretary's Day. Some people also consider St. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day to be such days.[1]
The Hallmark corporation says they "can't take credit for creating holidays."[2]
In popular culture
In The Simpsons Season 9 episode "Trash of the Titans", Costington's Department store creates a new August holiday called "Love Day." As Lisa puts it, this is intended to boost sales. Costington's sales chart (as shown in the episode) depict a dip from July to September.
Michigan singer-songwriter Jeremy Porter wrote the song "Hallmark Holiday" in 2005. The song was originally performed by his band The OffRamps[3] and first appeared in recorded form on their 2006 album Hate It When You're Right.[4] Porter re-recorded a stripped-down version of the song for his debut solo album Party of One[5] in 2010 and continued to play it in his solo-acoustic sets and then with his band Jeremy Porter & The Tucos until 2014. The Party of One version was featured in an episode of the PBS television series Roadtrip Nation and was also included on the official soundtrack CD for the 2011 season.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ Wood, Zoe (May 2010). "Birthday Wishes: Hallmark Celebrates a Century of Schmaltz". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
- ↑ "How a Holiday Becomes A Card Sending Occasion" (Press release). Hallmark Cards. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
While we're honored that people so closely link the Hallmark name with celebrations and special occasions, we can't take credit for creating holidays
- ↑ The OffRamps
- ↑ Hate It When You're Right - The OffRamps Discography - All Music Guide 2006
- ↑ Party Of One - Jeremy Porter Discography - All Music Guide 2011
- ↑ PBS Roadtrip Nation - 2011 soundtrack
Further reading
- Mooney, Linda & Brabant, Sarah (1998). "Off the Rack: Store Bought Emotions and the Presentation of Self". Electronic Journal of Sociology. 3 (4). ISSN 1198-3655.
- Schmidt, Leigh Eric (December 1991). "The Commercialization of the Calendar: American Holidays and the Culture of Consumption, 1870–1930". Journal of American History. Organization of American Historians. 78 (3): 887–916. doi:10.2307/2078795. JSTOR 2078795.