Colorado’s General Assembly is one vote away from designating March 30 as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day,” to recognize the service and sacrifice of Vietnam veterans, particularly in public schools. 

The holiday is known as a commemorative one, not a legal holiday. March 30 was chosen because that was the day in 1973 when the United States pulled its remaining combat troops from Vietnam, according to Senate Bill 24. 

The commemorative holiday joins a surprisingly short list of similar holidays in state statute.

The most recent addition was Colorado Public Lands Day, the third Saturday in May, added in 2016. 

Colorado Day, although not a legal holiday, is the first Monday in August, according to state law, although it is more commonly celebrated on Aug. 1. 

Then there’s the lesser known commemorative holidays:

Susan B. Anthony Day is Feb. 15, to be observed in the public schools “by suitable study and classroom discussion which set forth the importance of the great contribution she made to the cause of freedom.” When it entered the statutes isn’t clear, but it’s referred to in laws for 1963. 

Leif Erikson, the Viking warrior, has a commemorative day, too: it’s Oct. 9. The statute says that an appropriate observance may be held in all public schools “in tribute to the discoverer of the North American continent” in 1000 A.D.

Colorado also has its own Arbor Day, the third Friday in April, to encourage tree planting. That law dates back to 1889.

Cesar Chavez Day is a more recent addition that is technically an optional holiday for state employees. That’s March 31, added in 2001. State law also suggests observance in the public schools, “in tribute to his unselfish commitment to the principles of social justice and respect for human dignity.”

Then there’s the commemorative holidays that have disappeared from memory, or at least from state law.

Once upon a time, there was a “Saturday half holiday” in Colorado, part of a mid-19th century national movement to close businesses early on Saturdays. That was prior to the establishment of the 40-hour work week, and most workers had six-day work weeks. The half holiday was to allow them to prepare for the Sabbath. It appears to have been repealed as obsolete in 1995. 

In 1912, the General Assembly designated the second Friday in May as “Good Roads Day.” It was intended to help educate schoolchildren on the value of good roads.

In 1914, according to the Wray Rattler newspaper in eastern Colorado, May 8 was designated “Good Roads Day” by then-Gov. Elias Ammons. The 1914 proclamation was an effort by Ammons to encourage citizens to “devote the day to work on Colorado’s 30,000 miles of highways.” 

Whether or not that actually turned into good roads is unknown, but the law appears to have been repealed as obsolete in 1995. 

SB 24, establishing Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day, is on Wednesday’s calendar for a final vote in the House. It passed the Senate on a 35-0 vote on March 1. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, and Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale, and by Rep. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial.