Children's Day

So* Children's Day is tomorrow. I know. I can hardly stand the suspense.

Precisely what Children's Day entails seems to be up for grabs. Several sources have informed me that there is school tomorrow. Others seem to think (or perhaps hope) that there isn't. The sources I've consulted (foreign-language teachers) don't know and aren't asking, on the hopes that they won't explicitly told that they need to come to school, and can therefore take the day off.

One such source was the Polish English teacher. Back before the Iron Curtain fell with a thud*, she told me, Poland had Children's Day, too - a special holiday just for little Worker Children. Because, they were told, the Communist government loved children!

I remember, back in elementary school, my classmates used to ask why, in the name of equality, there was a Mother's Day and a Father's Day but not a Children's Day as well. I also remember the teacher telling us that every day was Children's Day and we should be quiet and finish our juiceboxes.

I suggested (jokingly!) that our Capitalist system just didn't love children as much.

The teacher shrugged. "That's what they told us."

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* I seem to be starting posts this way a lot. Note to self: stop.

** Okay, I may have paraphrased.