January 20th is no longer just about the State of the Union address. At least not in Portland. As of today, it is Decemberists Day. No, this is not a plot point from Portlandia, though it would seem the city of Portland is trying its hardest to rival the show that has made it the place to live outside of Brooklyn in terms of being as absurd and surreal as possible. Official document declaring Decemberists Day
Why is the mayor of Portland, Charlie Hales, sanctioning this as a special day to be duly noted by the people of Oregon? Chiefly because “The Decemberists thus embody the Portland values of passion, engagement and communitarianism with the Portland aesthetic of homegrown, forthright, slightly hippie and often bespectacled glory.” Yes, this is directly quoted from the piece of paper we are to heed when considering the officialness of Decemberists Day. The height of The Decemberists’ ability to look pleased about the news
Being that lead singer, Colin Meloy, and fellow bandmates, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query and John Moen, formed The Decemberists in Portland, there is a tinge less randomness to the day, however, it would surprise very few, I’m sure, if Portland had simply decided to create Decemberists Day because the folksy, troubadour style of the band accurately embodies life in the City of Roses. In any case, with Britney Spears Day recently announced in Vegas as well, it’s only a matter of time before New York City declares the day Taylor Swift moved there as Taylor Swift Day.
