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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1964
Official name	Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Observed by	United States
Type	National
Date	The third Monday in January
2012 date	January 16
2013 date	January 21

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King’s birthday, January 15. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, though the act predated the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by 15 years.

King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed on January 20, 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

History

The idea of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday was promoted by labor unions in contract negotiations.^[1] After King’s death, United States Representative John Conyers (a Democrat from Michigan) and United States Senator Edward Brooke (a Republican from Massachusetts) introduced a bill in Congress to make King’s birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979. However, it fell five votes short of the number needed for passage.^[2] Two of the main arguments mentioned by opponents were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive, and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition (King had never held public office).^[2] Only two other persons have national holidays in the United States honoring them: George Washington, the first President of the United States, and Christopher Columbus, the navigator, colonizer, and explorer from the Republic of Genoa, whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents.

Soon after, the King Center turned to support from the corporate community and the general public. The success of this strategy was cemented when musician Stevie Wonder released the single “Happy Birthday” to popularize the campaign in 1980 and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, termed by a 2006 article in The Nation as “the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history.”^[1]

Ronald Reagan and Coretta Scott King at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day signing ceremony

At the White House Rose Garden on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill, proposed by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana, creating a federal holiday to honor King.^[3]^[4] It was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986.

The bill established the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to oversee observance of the holiday, and Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife, was made a member of this commission for life by President George H. W. Bush in May 1989.^[5]^[6]

[edit] Reluctance to observe

Senator Jesse Helms (Republican of North Carolina) led opposition to the bill and questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. He also criticized King’s opposition to the Vietnam War and accused him of espousing “action-oriented Marxism”.^[7]

President Ronald Reagan might also have been opposed to the holiday, citing cost concerns.^[7] He grudgingly signed the measure only after Congress passed it with an overwhelming veto-proof majority (338 to 90 in the House of Representatives and 78 to 22 in the Senate). Reagan earlier said that he would do so because “Congress seemed bent on making it a national holiday.”^[8]

Sen. John McCain (Republican of Arizona) voted against the creation of the holiday to honor King, and later defended Arizona Republican Governor Evan Mecham’s rescission of the state holiday in honor of King created by his Democratic predecessor. After his opposition grew increasingly untenable, McCain reversed his position, and encouraged his home state of Arizona to recognize the holiday despite opposition from Mecham.^[9]

Former Governor Bruce Babbitt, a Democrat, created the holiday by executive order just before he left office in 1986; but Mecham, armed with an attorney general’s opinion that Babbitt’s order was illegal, rescinded it days after he took office. Mecham subsequently issued his own executive order, setting aside the third Sunday in January as an unpaid holiday to honor King, but it never was recognized by supporters of a paid holiday. Mecham was impeached and removed from office for unrelated actions in 1988.

The holiday also faced opposition in Arizona. Although the federal holiday was declared in 1986, it was never celebrated in Arizona as the incoming Governor Evan Mecham rescinded the King holiday a few days before it should have been observed. In 1989, the state legislature replaced Columbus Day with the King holiday outraging Italian-Americans. In 1990 the National Football League threatened to move the Super Bowl that was planned to be in Arizona in 1993. This same year, Arizonans were given the opportunity to vote to observe an MLK holiday. McCain successfully appealed to former President Ronald Reagan to support the holiday.^[10] The state legislature passed a measure to keep both Columbus Day and Martin Luther King Day, but it was too late as 76% of voters rejected the King holiday. Consequently, the state “lost $500 million and the Super Bowl” which moved to Pasadena, California.^[11]

In 1991, the New Hampshire legislature created “Civil Rights Day” and abolished “Fast Day”.^[12] In 1999, “Civil Rights Day” was officially changed to “Martin Luther King Day,” becoming the last state to have a holiday named after Dr. King.^[13]

On May 2, 2000, South Carolina governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday an official state holiday. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday for all state employees. Prior to this, employees could choose between celebrating Martin Luther King Day or one of three Confederate holidays.^[14]

Overall, in 2007, 33% of employers gave employees the day off, a 2% increase over the previous year. There was little difference in observance by large and small employers: 33% for firms with over 1,000 employees; and, 32% for firms with under 1,000 employees. The observance is most popular amongst nonprofit organizations and least popular among factories and manufacturers.^[15] The reasons for this have varied, ranging from the recent addition of the holiday, to its occurrence just two weeks after the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, when many businesses are closed for part or sometimes all of the week. Additionally, many schools and places of higher education are closed for classes; others remain open but may hold seminars or celebrations of King’s message. Some factories and manufacturers used MLK Day as a floating or movable holiday. Many business that used to close on Presidents’ Day now stay open on that day and close on MLK Day instead.

[edit] Alternative names

While all states now observe the holiday, some did not name the day after King. In Utah, the holiday was known as “Human Rights Day” until the year 2000,^[16] when the Utah State Legislature voted to change the name of the holiday from Human Rights Day to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In that same year Governor Michael O. Leavitt signed the bill officially naming the holiday “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day”.^[16]^[17]

In Virginia, it was known as Lee-Jackson-King Day, combining King’s birthday with the established Lee-Jackson Day.^[16] The incongruous nature of the holiday, which simultaneously celebrated the lives of Confederate Army generals and a civil rights icon, did not escape the notice of Virginia lawmakers. In 2000, Lee-Jackson Day was moved to the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, establishing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a holiday in its own right.^[18] However, Mississippi still shares this co-celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday and Robert E. Lee’s birthday on the third Monday of January.^[19]

In Arizona, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is known as “Martin Luther King, Jr./Civil Rights Day”;^[20] while in New Hampshire, its official name is “Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Day”.^[21]

[edit] King Day of Service

The national Martin Luther King Day of Service^[22] was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service in honor of Dr. King. The federal legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 23, 1994. Since 1996, the annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service^[23] has been the largest event in the nation honoring Dr. King.^[24]

Several other universities and organizations around the U.S., such as Arizona State University, Greater DC Cares and City Year, participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. In honor of MLK, volunteers across the country donate their time to make a difference on this day.

[edit] Outside the US

One place outside the United States where Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed with equal importance is in the Japanese city of Hiroshima under mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, who holds a special banquet at the mayor’s office as an act of unifying his city’s call for peace with King’s message of human rights.^[25]

The City of Toronto is another city that observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this is in part because of the many American Canadians in the city.^[26]

In 1984, during a visit by the U.S. Sixth Fleet, Navy chaplain Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff conducted the first Israeli Presidential ceremony in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, held in the President’s Residence, Jerusalem. Mrs. Aura Herzog, wife of Israel’s then-President Chaim Herzog, noted that she was especially proud to host this special event, because Israel had a national forest in honor of Dr. King, and that Israel and Dr. King shared the idea of dreams.^[27] Resnicoff continued this theme in his remarks during the ceremony, quoting the verse from Genesis, spoken by the brothers of Joseph when they saw their brother approach, “Behold the dreamer comes; let us slay him and throw him into the pit, and see what becomes of his dreams.” Resnicoff noted that, from time immemorial, there have been those who thought they could kill the dream by slaying the dreamer, but – as the example of Dr. King’s life shows – such people are always wrong.^[28]

[edit] Memorial stamps

King was included in a 1998 series from Kyrgyzstan.

Since the death of Martin Luther King Jr., memorial stamps have been issued in his honor worldwide. The first postage stamp to honor the internationally known civil rights leader was issued by Ras Al-Khaimah on May 25, 1968. Other places have also issued stamps such as Cameroon, Mali, Sharjah, Mexico, India, Liberia, Rwanda, and the Virgin Islands. More recently, other states have issued stamps and postal souvenir sheets in Dr. King’s honor. Today, the civil rights leader has had more postage stamps issued in his honor than any other Black American.

On January 13, 1979, the United States Postal Service unveiled a 15 cent commemorative stamp as a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. during ceremonies at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. It was the 10th stamp in honor of a Black American and the second stamp issued in the Black Heritage USA Series which recognizes the contributions of Black Americans to the development of the United States. The U.S. Postal Service issued 166,435,000 King stamps.

Spring Fling Basket

james — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:10:07 +0000

Spring Fling Basket

Spring Fling Basket - Medium Basket - 95.00, Large 155.00, Extra Large (as shown) 16-22 Inches – large basket, fruits, wine, cheese, crackers – tropical and seasonal fruits, selection of nuts. Godiva Boxed Chocolate, specialized meats, cheeses, salmon – Champagne upon request and with price adjustments as needed according to bottle grade. Also includes seasonal candy and salty snacks can include caviar if available. Call to customize.

New Years Baskets

james — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:33:34 +0000

New Years Baskets

Please Call 561-655-7017 or Email us at Mia@farfalleonline.com

Gift Baskets Start at 150.00

Christmas Baskets

james — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:38:59 +0000

Christmas Baskets

This little basket of fun! This is a real keepsake for children or anybody! It is a real wood log cabin, which can be re-used for so many things around the holidays! We fill it with chocolate, candy canes, nuts and the finest gingerbread cookies you can find and adorn it all with holiday decorations wrap and bow. We import this hand made log cabin and it’s truly an adorable and well received gift! We can customize the contents.

Please call 561-655-7017 or Email us at Mia@farfalleonline.com
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Christmas Cheer fruit and sweets and live holiday greens basket. 65.00 (incl tax and delivery anywhere in City Limits of W. Palm Beach – or shipped in Florida) outside limits some additional fees may apply.

This basket is a good sized basket with sweets such as Peppermint Candy Cane sticks, Cream Puff Cookies, Candy Cane Almond Roca, Full sized Strawberry Jam, Pears and apples, hard candies, honey Roasted nuts and beautiful live Holiday Greens and bows to adorn. Call us to personalize.
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Beautiful Holiday Green Fruit Basket 90.00

(tax and del incl anywhere in W. Palm Beach area – or shipped in Fl, delivered by hand outside W.Palm Beach for additional fees, call for pricing)

The basket includes live princess pine, incense cedar,juniper and fresh holly. fresh seedless grapes (may be green black or red), Deluxe Gourmet Mixed Nuts with in Holiday Adorned Bag, Harry’s of London Peppermint Bark or suitable substitute gourmet chocolate bar depending upon supply, pears, apples, fresh live cheese and crackers, Swiss Brewed fine coffee
(LeSemuesse).

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The Ultimate Champagne Holiday Basket – 300.00

inc tax and del in local area, call for shipping prices.

This basket includes a bottle of Moet White Star, bottle of Perrier Joet and bottle of Veuve Cliquot along with

Coburn or other fine fresh cheese in full size, gourmet cookies, Holiday Godiva Chocolate, Carr’s Crackers, Smoked Salmon,

Sausages and live Holiday Greens and Holly.

If shipped a Non-Perishable high end Brie would be used, or extra shipping will be charged to pack in dry ice.
Please call 561-655-7017 or Email us at Mia@farfalleonline.com

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Huge Holiday Party Sleigh – Market Price, call for details as this was created with probably 20 bottles of liquor that were brought in to package!

This basket has it all though, Cheeses, chocolates, Wine Coffee, Holiday Shortbread cookies, Meats, crackers, mustard’s…there is nothing it DOESN’T have! Sleigh also may be subject to availability and might change season to season. Again, just give a call to consult if you think this suits your needs.

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Christmas Champagne Toast Basket with Tiffany & Co. Gifts!

This is a Mahogany stained large basket (baskets may vary by season). The basket is filled surrounded by lush heavenly scented live juniper and Princess pine and fir, live holly with berries, basket Full Size Bottle of Vueve Cliquot Champagne in a gorgeous wooden basket which is 17 inches around and 10 inches high without filling. This is truly a lasting keepsake. A box of holiday themed Godiva Chocolates (19 pieces at 28.00 a box – you may alter the size of the box to make it smaller or larger), This lovely basket will delight your recipient and make a lasting impression of friendship. Call for consultation on pricing of this basket – it is custom built.

*Note on Tiffany & Co. Gifts – you can either buy on line and have shipped to me or I will pick them up for you at the Worth Avenue Store in Palm Beach, FL) There is a beautiful selection of bar and stemware and a host of other great gifts that come all wrapped to go into your beautiful gift – look at www.Tiffany.com or call me!)(you may choose your Tiffany & Co. Gift and I will personally get it from the Worth Avenue Store in Palm Beach for you)

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Golden Krug Holiday Celebration Basket

Price depends on Market Price of Krug and other elements.
Please call to work up a price for the basket you desire!

Please call 561-655-7017 or Email us at Mia@farfalleonline.com

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Spiced Wine by the Fireside Basket
125.00 including shipping and tax anywhere in Florida.

This beautiful dark stained Rattan Basket is stuffed with Excelsior (Aspen Peel) and adorned with Live
Princess Pine, and live variegated Holly with Juniper Berries….a real holiday mood warmer. The basket is
14 inches in diameter and 12 inches high and is stuffed with a large Box of chocolate crepe cookies, smoked almonds, Spice Hunter Mulled Spiced
Wine spices, Bottle of Merlot wine, Poppy & Sesame Seed Carr’s Crackers, Brie Cheese & Moose Munch Chocolate snack bar, butter pretzels and/or caramel popcorn. Makes a nice hearty snack for a man or anyplace that needs warming with good spirits! Basket contents can be altered within aesthetic reason! Call me for a consultation if you’d like to make changes to the contents to suit a particular person’s delights and I’ll do my best to suit you.
The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:

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Champagne and Holiday Feast – for the ages…starting at 260.00 inc delivery) (as shown 400.00 incl tax and delivery) This super high end basket starts with a very large and tall (over two feet with ribbon and wrap) basket 17 inches around. It is embellished with Princess Pine, Incense Cedar, beautiful holiday berry sprays and fir with Organza tri-colored bows.

Included in the basket is a bottle of fine wine or Champagne – Moet/Perrier Joet, Nehaus Chocolates, Bentley Tea, full size bag of Godiva Coffee, Selection of hand decorated deluxe nuts..cashews, mixed nuts, smoked almonds and pistachios, Herbed Flatbread Crackers – a Box of 4 different flavors,
Large Box of Smoked Salmon, selection of high end fresh gourmet selections of cheeses (call to get deta on this – but some include Brie, Boursin, Smoked Gouda, or Manchego, Stilton with Apricots or Aged Gouda…we can shop for what you like!). This basket can include a 2 oz jar of fresh farmed Caviar for 125.00 exra – or it may be substituted call for help with this. The basket also includes a large box of cookies – and fresh Genoa salami and grained mustard.
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Wine & Roses Fruit filled Sleigh -
160.00 including tax and shipping anywhere in Florida (call for consultation on shipping out of state..also some fruit may be interchanged to prevent crushing).

This beautiful hand tied twine Sleigh is a keepsake for this season and beyond. A family heirloom and childhood wonder that is looked forward to every year when the holiday boxes are unpacked! It is large 22-24 inches long and 12 inches high unpacked (about 12 inches wide.

The basket is packed with Aspen Peel and holiday tissue paper and then adorned with live princess pine and cedar, cinnamon scented pine cones. It includes a large fresh pineapple, bananas and seedless grapes (if being shipped locally), a large box of chocolate crepe cookies, full size gourmet chocolate bar with hazelnuts or peppermint bark, Water Crackers and Brie cheese, selection of nuts – cashews, deluxe mixed nuts, pistachios or Cinnamon nuts (your choice of two), if local two bartlet pears, two fresh crop gala apples, bottle of red wine in organza wine bag matching the basket. The basket is wrapped with the bow on top and adorned with live pine and your beautiful hand written linen card. Truly a gift to create awe and amazement that only Christmas can hold.

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Contact Info:
Phone: 561-655-7017
Fax:561-655-7017
Cell: 561-632-8815 email:Mia@farfalleonline.com>

West Palm Beach Gift Basket delivery areas include,Century Village,Bear Lakes,Cypress Lakes,Lakeside Green,Summit Pines Communities, Haverhill, Palm Springs, Green Acres, Lake Worth, City Place, Trump Plaza, Phillips Point, Palm Beach Yacht Club, St. Marys Hospital, Lake Park, Northwood, Flamingo Park, Turtle Bay, Land Of The Presidents, and hand delivery locations below. We do deliver to retirement communities, in the delivery areas above. Delivery Information

Hand delivery in Florida to the following cities: West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Wellington, Lantana, Atlantis, Green Acres, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth, Manalapan, Gulf Stream, Delray Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Lake Park, Palm Springs, and Ocean Ridge, Jupiter, Tequesta Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach.

Local shipping in Florida:(Fedex, Usps, Ups, DHL)

We Ship to all county’s in Florida These include:

Tequesta, Jupiter Island, Juno Beach, Hutchinson Island, Jensen Beach, Ft. Pierce, Miami, Deerfield Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. Keys, Weston, Pompano, Boca Raton, Hollywood, Dania, Plantation, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Oakland Park, Coral Gables, Homestead, Tamarac, Margate, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Holiday, Miami, Ft. lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Creek, Boca Raton, Vero Beach, Ft. Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Sebastian, Daytona, Orlando, Tampa, Naples, Fort Myers, Lakeland, Kissimmee, Cape Coral, Hollywood, Fl, Melbourne, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Panama City, Sarasota.

Tequesta, Jupiter Island, Juno Beach, Hutchinson Island, Jensen Beach, Ft. Pierce, Miami, Deerfield Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. Keys, Weston, Pompano, Hollywood, Dania, Plantation, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Oakland Park, Coral Gables, Homestead, Tamarac, Margate, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Miami, Ft. lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Creek, Boca Raton, Vero Beach, Ft. Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Sebastian, Daytona, Orlando, Tampa, Naples, Fort Myers, Lakeland, Kissimmee, Cape Coral, Hollywood, Fl, Melbourne, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Panama City, Sarasota Florida.

We ship our gift baskets to the following states, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Gift Baskets may be shipped via UPS, FedEx, or DHL. To any where in the world please advice the shipping cost.

West Palm Beach Delivery Information:

Local shipping in Florida:(Fedex, Usps, Ups, DHL)

We Ship to all county’s in Florida These include:

New Years Baskets

james — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:25:38 +0000

New Years Baskets

Please Call 561-655-7017 or Email us at Mia@farfalleonline.com

West Palm Beach Delivery Information:

Local shipping in Florida:(Fedex, Usps, Ups, DHL)

We Ship to all county’s in Florida These include: