FOREWORD In the statutes of the state will be found the following: The day in each year known as Arbor Day shall be suitably observed in the public schools. The Commissioner of Education shall from time to time prepare and issue to schools such circulars of information, advice and instruction with reference to the day as he may deem necessary. For the purpose of encouraging the planting of shade and forest trees, the second Friday of April in each year is hereby designated as a day for the general observance of such purpose, and to be known as Arbor Day. On said day appropriate exercises shall be introduced in all the schools of the State, and it shall be the duty of the several county and city superintendents to prepare a program of exercises for that day in all the schools under their respective jurisdiction. In all public schools there shall be held on the last school day preceding the following holidays, namely, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Decoration or Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day, and on such other patriotic holidays as shall be established by law, appropriate exercises for the development of a higher spirit of patriotism. It shall be the duty of the principals and teachers in the public schools of this State to make suitable arrangements for the celebration, by appropriate exercises among the pupils in said schools, on the fourteenth day of June, in each year, as the day of the adoption of the American flag by the Continental Congress. The provisions of these statutes have been carried out in the schools of the state. They are believed in and supported heartily by the public opinion of the state. In order that greater assistance may be rendered to teachers and school officers in preparing for these special days, this pamphlet on _Special Days and their Observance_ has been prepared by the Department, chiefly through the efforts of Mr. Z. E. Scott, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Elementary Education. The pamphlet also contains suggestions concerning the opening exercises of schools. Mr. Scott has been assisted in this work by the following persons, the school officers having in turn been aided by their teachers. To all these grateful acknowledgment is hereby made. George C. Baker, Supervising Principal, Moorestown Louis H. Burch, Principal Bangs Avenue School, Asbury Park Hannah Chew, Principal Culver School, Cumberland County K. C. Davis, formerly of State Agricultural College, New Brunswick Florence Farber, Helping Teacher, Sussex County Henry W. Foster, Supervising Principal, South Orange Alfred Gaskill, State Forester Jennie Haver, Helping Teacher, Hunterdon County J. Cayce Morrison, Supervising Principal, Leonia Charles A. Philhower, Supervising Principal, Westfield Katharine B. Rogers, Reference Librarian, State Library Roy L. Shaffer, Supervisor of Practice, Newark State Normal School