I also find the novelty of holidays is a lot weaker for people who aren't working, since the holiday doesn't change anything in their pattern.

That being said, there's also a downside to having holidays -- while people can celebrate the good moments on a holiday, appreciating what they have (though, once again, I emphasize that they should be doing that [i]all[/i] the time, not just one day of the year), it's also a time where those who don't have something basically have it rubbed in their faces. Father's Day is a painful time for someone - such as myself - who lost their dad long ago, Valentine's Day is the worst day of the year for people who're single and not happy with it, and (not that I want to be the guy who always has to drop the anvils) the suicide rate is often [i]significantly[/i] higher during Christmas.