May 1st was Labour Day across many countries of the world, in two days Mexico will commemorate a battle that most Americans turn into a party opportunity, and next Saturday the European Union will throw open its doors for Europe Day. Three pauses, three completely different reasons, all packed into the first 10 days of May. And these are just some of the examples, as every country has its own agenda for pausing.

It's strange when you think about it. We treat public holidays like fixed features of the calendar, something we look forward to because it gives us a day when it's generally accepted to take a break. But every single one was invented by someone, somewhere, often for reasons that have very little to do with how we celebrate them now.

For example, UK bank holidays exist because a Victorian banker named John Lubbock thought workers (and the financial system) needed structured days when banks could legally close. Cinco de Mayo marks a battle in 1862 when the Mexican army, outnumbered two to one, somehow defeated the French at Puebla. Europe Day commemorates the 1950 Schuman Declaration, the moment that laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the European Union.

And the variation between countries is wilder than you might expect. Nepal has 35 public holidays. Mexico has 8. There's no global agreement on how much pause a life needs, or what's worth pausing for. Let's dig a bit deeper into this topic now.

🇺🇳 To note: International Days and Weeks
The UN's full calendar of observances, from World Bee Day to International Jazz Day. Why wouldn’t every day be a day of celebration?
→ Explore on the UN

🇪🇺 To keep in mind: Europe Day
On May 9th, EU institutions across Brussels, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, and beyond open their doors for free public events.
→ Read on Europa.eu

🎨 To explore: Celebrations Around the World
A digital archive of how cultures mark the moments that matter, from Diwali in India to the Lunar New Year in various Asian countries and Halloween in Western countries.
→ Explore on Google Arts & Culture

🎬 To watch: Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day?
While most of the world marks Labour Day on May 1st, the US and Canada do it on the first Monday of September. The story goes back to a New York City union rally in 1882.
→ Watch on TED-Ed

📊 To compare: List of countries by number of public holidays
Nepal leads with 35+, Mexico sits at 8, and Vietnam keeps it tight at 6. It’s curious to see how each country approaches the public holidays differently.
→ Read on Wikipedia

🌍 To know: 5 interesting facts about public holidays worldwide
30 countries don't celebrate Christmas at all, January 1st is observed in 90% of the world (not always for the reason you'd think), and many other interesting facts!
→ Read on Calamari

🌐 QPP Studio's Public Holidays Today

A daily updated list of every public holiday happening right now across the globe. For example, today, May 3rd, is being observed in 13 different countries for various reasons. Take this as a reminder that someone, somewhere, is always pausing.

→ Check today's pauses at qppstudio.net

Pont (French) - literally meaning "bridge," describes the practice of taking the working day between a public holiday and a weekend off, to create a longer stretch of rest.

If a holiday falls on a Tuesday, the French faire le pont, "make the bridge," by taking Monday off too, turning a single day off into a four-day weekend. It's such a beloved cultural practice that May, with its multiple bank holidays, becomes the unofficial month of ponts.

I’d say that the French have something going on there. The default in most of the countries is to treat public holidays as separate units, and the “pont” sees them differently: as something you can connect, extend, and reshape.

If you could create one new public holiday for the world, what would it commemorate, and why do you think we don't already pause for it?

See you next Sunday! Until then, keep your eyes open, your questions big, and your sense of wonder alive.

Your curious internet friend,
Ruxandra