Unofficial Holidays

We all love a public holiday to help break the weeks up. A random sleep-in day or catch-up day in the middle of the week can offer the soul a bit of a restart, which is always a good thing. In Australia alone, there are around 25 holidays and observances throughout the calendar year, with 17 of those having the bonus of a public holiday. 

Like the amateur reporter I am, I turned to Google to do some research on these days to acknowledge and came across holidayscalendar.com; a website filled with unofficial holidays that we should perhaps consider. I am going to cover some of these unofficial holidays at random across various editions of The Bridge, starting this week with: ‘Hug a Newsperson Day’ – Monday, April 4.

Whether you are a hugger, or you are a non-hugger, take a moment this coming Monday to consider a newsperson who you believe may need a hug. Perhaps you appreciate what they have been reporting and wish to show your gratitude through a hug, or maybe their recent reporting has you concerned about their wellbeing and think that a hug may do them the world of good. 

Unrequited hugs can be very embarrassing (I know this from personal experience the day I hugged an accountant without a response), so always be sure to ask permission before laying one on the newsperson. Hopefully, they will reciprocate either with a fairy hug (arms outstretched accompanied by three taps of their hands on your shoulders), or with a big bear hug.