Sunday, April 18, 2010

Happy Garbage Day Eve !!

I have convinced my granddaughter into celebrating a new holiday with me: Garbage Day Eve. (Some of you may know her already as Lydia, the Fairy Scientist.) Every Tuesday, the municipal waste utility in our town picks up the garbage, recycling and yard debris. So every Monday is the day BEFORE garbage pick up – it’s Garbage Day Eve.

I was not sure my granddaughter really believed in Garbage Day Eve. I challenged her apparent lack of faith. So to prove her devotion to the holiday to me, she scribbled her testament in crayon on a paper plate . Hey, It’s documentary proof – I am convinced that she is now a believer.

We even sing Garbage Day Eve carols together:

It’s garbage day, oh yes its garbage day,
It’s our very very special day.
We take all the garbage that’s down at our feet;
Gather it up and throw it out in the street.

It’s garbage day, oh yes its garbage day,
How could anybody stay away?
We take all the garbage that’s down on the floor,
Gather it up and throw it out the front door.

Garbage day is special in that, unlike all the other holidays, Garbage Day Eve only comes fifty-two times a year. It is indeed a truly festive Garbage Day Eve if we have sufficient garbage to put out all three (garbage, recycling and yard debris) containers for pick up on a single day.

I even have my granddaughter petitioning her school to allow her the day off as a school holiday. Unfortunately her mother is undermining the request, claiming Garbage Day Eve is not (yet) a recognized national holiday.

Still, there are at least two of us who believe and our numbers are growing. We believe we have convinced her younger brother to join our movement; we are already teaching him the carols (Well currently there is only one carol, at this point) but this bodes quite well for the movement, we think. Only 6.8 billion more people need to be convinced to join us in celebrating this festive day.

Happy Garbage Day Eve, everyone !!

13 comments:

Gorilla Bananas said...

Garbage Day Eve is on a Sunday for some people, so it's always a holiday. Garbage Day Santa must be the fox or raccoon who steals from the bin rather than putting in presents. Maybe we should call them "Anti-Santas".

Charlie said...

Great song! Lydia is a lucky little girl to have a grampa like you.

Around here, our three barrels are emptied three different days a week, so that means I get to take 156 days off!

Robert the Skeptic said...

Bananas Oh yes... just like Santa has his elves, so does Garbage Day Santa have "helpers" too in the furry little foxes, raccoon, rats and mice who toil so busily then join paws and dance around the trash bins. We're usually sleeping and miss all that, though.

Charlie Wow, my christian friend who is married to a Jewish man; they celebrate BOTH Christmas and Chanuakh. You are blessed to live in a place that celebrates such a rich cultural garbage diversity.

Kay Dennison said...

What a fun grandpa you are!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I have been singing with my granddaughters about everyday things for quite a while. Now she and her mom do it, too. I have to admit that I don't think garbage day has ever come up as subject matter for a song, though.....How fun!!!

Robert the Skeptic said...

Kay Well that is sort of the "job" of grandpas... showing the grand kids that the silly side of life can be fun.

BackRow Yes, making songs about the mundane things in life sometimes gives it an interesting spin; gets them engaged in activities like cleaning up their toys by making a game out of it. My adult kids still remember some of my silly songs.

theWaif said...

"My adult kids still remember some of my silly songs."

And now, I give you my personal favorite..."Lobsters".

Lobsters, here come the lobsters.
They come out every autumn and they pinch you on the bottom.

Lobsters, here come the lobsters.
They come out every year and then they pinch you on the rear!


(Usually sung to my step-mom's dismay as Dad would try to pinch her posterior. Had us in stitches every time. Those were the days.)

Robert the Skeptic said...

Waif Yes, Lobsters was indeed one of my favorites, not to be outdone by the ones specifically composed for you: Here comes sugar plumb and I got two toofies in my head which is perfect for grandson M right now.

secret agent woman said...

I kind of like the idea of taking every Thursday off.

CiCi said...

We could have quite a few holidays because out trash is picked up every Thursday, so Wednesday is Garbage Day Eve here!

Robert the Skeptic said...

Secret Agent There ya go - now if you can get it to be a "paid" holiday...

TechnoBabe You and Secret Agent should send one another Garbage Day Eve cards... then you would have more to recycle. Wow, this thing is really taking off!!

kara said...

how come you sing sweet songs like that to her and your daughters got gems like "the daddy monster"?

Robert the Skeptic said...

Kara What can I say... song writing is clearly the result of inspiration.