Other countries and cultures have communal holidays. The USA does not but for Thanksgiving.
Office workers (most not all) are getting a 4 day weekend, the only one all year. Stores and such may be getting they're first day closed (off) in over 11 months. The roads will be empty for 4 days.
This is important because, I was anticipating having no real work to do this week. If I don't get to something, it doesn't matter, someone internal or a client isn't expected to see it either. It's laid back.
If I wanted to take last Thursday/Friday off, I would have to debrief my “replacements” the day before. I would have to try to race to finish everything before I go. I would have to keep my laptop with me at all times for just in case an “emergency” arises. I would have to come back to a ton of work that wasn't done, or things done wrong as they always are. And I would need to debrief in the morning for what's waiting for me.
But not this week. I shut the computer down. Nothing is coming in for 4 days. I don't need a meeting. I don't need to pull my hair out with trying to “make up” for the backed up work I am punished with for taking a day off. I don't need to explain I'm off, etc.
It's the only holiday that isn't a chore from work. I understand other countries have full holidays. There are weeks where most people take off and it's expected. Some countries get their religious holidays off too – which comes out of my PTO and I have to go through this multiple times a year. But here, this is it. Even if you are only getting Thursday off, collectively, as a nation, we are all off, and there is no pain involved in it.
The US needs more REAL holidays. Giving me more PTO won't help me much. I never leave time off on the table – but I sympathize and understand why there are people who do now.