Moral Holidays?

A moral holiday is a holiday from everyday conventions or morals. An occasion, a ritual, a time of year, or whatever when the many of the common rules and customs are willfully ignored and flouted.   Obviously, this is very open to individual interpretations. 

"The universe is a system of which the individual members may relax their anxieties occasionally, in which the don’t-care mood is also right for men, and moral holidays in order... I fully believe in the legitimacy of taking moral holidays." -- William James

Now William James, proper Bostonian and Harvard professor as he was, gave the example of taking a walk in the park when you could be working and feeling bad as an example of a moral holiday.  Shall we say that he was a creature of his time, a pragmatist philosopher, or just someone devoid of imagination?

Moral holidays are often correlated with actual holidays in which the person goes to a new place; one with more latitude as to personal conduct, perhaps.  There's something inviting about those dives on the Redneck Riviera that come to mind, especially if the music is loud and the beer is flowing.   Yes, it's true: several women have publicly removed their bras to be hung from the ceiling of the Florabama Lounge!  And couples neck on the sand amid the dunes.  And each year there is a mullet-tossing competition.

New Orleans is, of course, the place with the wild Mardi Gras!  And, yes, dressing in outlandish costumes is part of the scene.  And light misconduct, even by people who would never, never think of doing so back home.  Somehow, the crowds, the alcohol, the rowdyness, and the permissiveness make it somehow not a bad idea at the time.

Moral holidays are a brief respite from the everyday standards of conduct, the fixed smile.  It's a little time to be a little different.

Years ago Las Vegas, after failing to promote itself as a family destination, successfully remarketed itself, using the slogan "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."  This was accompanied by a series of commercials, one of which is shown below.

Now it's totally uncertain why the women are wearing nearly identical outfits and go into the powder room to exchange wigs, but the looks they gave each other leave the viewer with the thought that they must be up to something not entirely above board!  Could they have met two guys, and decided that they liked each other's better?   It's pretty much up in the air as to what is going on, but somehow it's likely to involve something questionable.

And, afterwards, a delicious memory to share!