My five favorite non-traditional holidays:

Opening Day at Fenway: probably the most important day each year in Red Sox Nation, it's a celebration of Spring, renewal, hope, hot dogs and beer.

Star Trek's Anniverary: The original Star Trek TV series premiered on September 8, 1966 with the episode The Man Trap (the one with the Salt Vampire). I'm sure that if you had told Leonard Nimoy that day that he would still be playing Spock over 40 years later, he would have had you hauled off to the Federation Funny Farm. I honor the day annually because of all the great friends I have met as a result of my involvment in Star Trek fandom (you know who you are).

Super Bowl Sunday: I got my hair cut the morning of the Super Bowl this year and the woman cutting my hair told me that its her family's second most important holiday. And why not? It's a celebration of sports, violence, commercialism and eating and drinking too much. What could be more American?

Festivus: My favorite part is the Airing of Grievences.

Truck Day: This is the one that inspired this post, since Truck Day was today. The day the moving truck leaves Fenway Park to bring the Red Sox equipment is the first step on the path between winter's chill and the promise of Opening Day. It's a reminder that, while Spring isn't right around the corner, it's also not too far off.