Reconsidering the three-day weekend

Matthew Yglesias has an interesting observation about this holiday weekend:

Let me say that I’ve really enjoyed this rare Friday-off three day weekend. I think it’s been a lot more fun than your traditional Monday-off three dayer. I think it’s the difference between a weekend that psychologically feels like it has two Saturdays and a weekend that psychologically feels like it has two Sundays. But whatever the reason, I think we should formalize the switch, eliminate our “observed on Monday” national holidays and shift them to Fridays.

I think there is some logic to this. There is a reason why people who work short weeks - those with 9/80 schedules, for example - get Fridays off, rather than Mondays. Whether there will ever be the political will to move holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day from the beginning of the week to the end, however, is another story.