My Theory of Human Evolution (Fourth of July)
Why do holidays exist? For the same reason as festivals, ceremonies, and souvenirs: To increase demand for hard-to-make stuff. This helps artisans at the cutting edge make a living. They are the innovators. Helping them advances technology. Our celebration of Independence Day, for example, creates demand for fireworks, firecrackers, and American flags.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:23 am
[…] Fourth of July (holidays increase demand for finely-made stuff) […]
July 4th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
hm, costume manufacturers would certainly be up a creek if they didn’t have halloween, and people talk about hallmark holidays created to sell cards, so that makes intuitive sense.
i guess another idea that leaps to mind is that holidays are a time when people are more likely to be focusing on a certain seemingly culturally valuable narratives or sets of ideas.
i’m reminded of how muslims have to pray five times a day and have ramadan once a lunar year presumably effectively reminding them of their muslim values.
with the fourth of july there’s a nice overlap of the commercial ends of holiday’s and the end of reminding people of american values, given american free-market friendliness.
July 5th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I love the American flag but I wouldn’t call it “hard-to-make stuff” or a product of “artisans at the cutting edge”! I mean, maybe in the Betsy Ross’s time, but now???
July 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
True, not hard to make any more.