Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology. Comment policy: say what you want, but back it up with an email address. I don't like anonymous trolls.
And Evacuation Day, which truly is a silly holiday, is a wonderful way to allow everybody to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day without violating all that church and state stuff. One unique Massachusetts tradition is that, on this day, some tightwad state representative rails against how much Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day cost the state. Yes, Evacuation Day isn't a particularly momentous occasion in terms of U.S. history, but the Battle of Bunker Hill is kinda important--we should remember it. If the colonists had lost the battle, our history would be very different.
Besides, nobody's around in June anyway.
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Actually the colonists did lose the Battle of Bunker Hill (the actuall battle occurred on Breeds Hill). Though they gave the British troops a bloody nose at the end of the day they had to abandon their positions and cede control of the hill to the British.
Posted by: Ericb | March 17, 2010 12:52 PM
Every year around this time, the lack of recognition of St. Joseph's day makes me very sad :p
Posted by: JohnV | March 17, 2010 1:13 PM
Ah but St. Paddy should have driven the cassock snakes out of Ireland.
It would have saved the RCC a wee bit of a scandal.
Posted by: Rob Jase | March 17, 2010 2:34 PM
I thought Evacuation day was tomorrow. You know, when everyone is sitting on the can and holding a plastic bucket... evacuating the excesses of today.
Posted by: mk | March 17, 2010 2:52 PM
Indeed--the Redcoats forced the colonists to retreat, but were then trapped on the peninsula, beginning the long Siege of Boston.
I lived for a while in a house that was partially built from beams used in one of the siege fortifications on Winter Hill.
Posted by: Moopheus | March 17, 2010 3:10 PM