Hello, everyone.

Ann and I are trying something new today.

In true entrepreneurial fashion, we are throwing it out there and seeing if it sticks.

The genesis of what you are about to hear or watch is that Ann and I have been blown away by the number of people that watch the shorts of our lightning round at the end of every Fast five that we record.

Every Fast five podcast that we record in which, you know, we are retail experts, so to speak, but the lightning round, and I don't really think, I don't think the lightning rod really qualifies as retail insights.

And maybe it does take.

No expertise is required for the answers.

No.

No questions.

No.

No.

So those people tuning in for our retail insights are.

Are still loving our lightning round.

So.

So because of that, and we teased this on our Fast five together a few weeks ago, we're going to rank stuff.

We're going to rank stuff today and.

And we're going to start this first ever show ranking our favorite holidays one through five.

Are you ready?

I love that.

I love that.

There's no other premise but rank stuff.

That was, that was the thesis for this podcast.

So very, very deeply thought through.

Rank stuff.

Yes, yes.

Rank our favorite holidays today.

I love it.

And you know, as you say that it's totally on brand for us.

Totally rank stuff.

Let's just reg stuff.

Yes.

Are you ready to go?

Yes, I'm ready to go.

Oh, you want to ask a question before we get started?

Before we get started, I have to ask you a question.

So we're ranking holidays.

Did you, in your prep for this podcast have to Google the holidays?

No, I did not, Ann.

No, I did not.

Okay.

Given my 47 years of experience on this earth, I was pretty comfortable.

I knew which holidays registered in my mind, but I take it.

So it was just me.

Yes, I did.

I did.

Because it was very challenging.

Like when you look at the list, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't forgetting any holidays I know or like where do the holiday.

What's considered a holiday?

Because like the US Holidays, if you just Google it, is like the ones that the government is closed down.

They don't get into like St.

Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day.

Oh, definitely a holiday.

Definitely a holiday.

Yes.

Okay, so that's.

I included those.

I just wanted to set the table.

Yes, you should have.

So that we're like, still we're allowed to include non government holidays in this Because I definitely did.

So just just clarifying.

Okay.

Yes, you definitely should have.

Yeah, no, there's no rules in Rank Stuff.

And there's no rules, in fact.

But the only rule I think for this one is it's us holidays.

Like, we're not doing Boxing Day or something like that.

Even though one of your titles, one of the potential titles for this entire series if it takes off is you're such a ranker.

In honor of our friends overseas as well.

But, um, but yes, Ann, I think you, you, I think you, if you Googling helped you arrive at that, I'm all for it, so.

But I, I, I wanted to make.

Sure that I was, that I was applying to all the terms and conditions of the Rank Stuff podcast.

So I just made sure I was doing my due diligence.

So we are recognizing for everyone listening, any holiday that is recognized somewhat in.

The US it can even be like your own holiday too.

Like Festivus, you know, like on Seinfeld, like, if you have Bongo Day in your house or something like that, you.

Know, that was included.

That also qualifies.

Well, I think it should.

I think it should.

But, but.

All right, let's see where you came up with.

All right, all right, you start us off.

Number.

We're gonna go reverse order.

What is your fifth favorite holiday?

Okay, this holiday, this is where, this is where I get into the, like, gray of the holidays.

But my fifth favorite holiday is Summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

Solstice.

Wow.

Starting off strong, coming in strong.

Why do you like the summer solstice?

What day is that?

June 21.

June 21.

June 21.

Nice.

Okay.

All right.

I have a lot of, I have a lot of friends who have summer solstice parties.

And it's like, fun.

One of them, yeah, one of them does like a Midsummer Night's Dream themed one.

And it's like, kind of cool.

Another friend of mine is Latvian and they have, they always celebrate the summer solstice.

Yanni Day is what they call it.

And it, she like has this whole party where she, her dad's like the US Ambassador to Latvia, so like, he brings in all this Latvian food and, like, she has this great party.

It's my grandmother's birthday, so I like, I think of her that day.

And it's the most sunlight that we get for in one day.

And I think that alone is like a reason to celebrate.

So I'm going Summer solstice, it's crazy.

It's unorthodox.

But that's my top five.

My five holiday of the top five summer solstice.

Like that, that even crank my kids or crack my consideration.

This is why I googled Chris, because I was like, what holidays are there that I'm not thinking of?

And this was on the list.

And I was like, yeah, I actually do love that day.

Wow.

I'll give you.

I'll give you the sunlight day.

The sunlight thing is cool.

I didn't even know.

I didn't even know people that existed like, that People had summer solstice parties.

I had no idea.

And Yanni Day, like, I imagine that that's a word specific to Latvian culture as opposed to, like, listening to Yanni music.

Right.

Although it's Jade, inclusion of both would be kind of fun.

Okay, got it.

Got it.

Yes.

All right, all right.

Well, mine is not quite.

Mine is not quite as obscure.

And I will put that out there.

Mine is New Year's Day.

New Year's Day, actually.

Oh, okay.

What.

Why, What's.

Why does take fifth place for me?

It's, it's, it's.

It's.

It's not.

It's not like on the upper echelon, but it's like, it gets ranked for me because of the nostalgia and, you know, love is in the air.

You know, you look back on the past year, you can look back fondly.

It gives you good memories.

You always remember where you are.

When Harry Met Sally comes into play in my mind.

You also get the next day off, which, as you're going to see in my rankings and how many days off I get around the holidays.

Very, very, very valid for my ranking.

Yes.

Very light week heading.

The light week heading into it before Christmas is as well.

Ryan Seacrest balls are dropping in New York City.

New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

Because you said New Year's Day.

You need New Year's, New Year's, the whole.

Got to pick a home.

Got to pick a day.

No, no, no, no.

You're delineating between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Yes.

Let me tell you why.

Because New Year's Day period and the.

24 hour period is what I'm saying.

Nope.

Nope.

Disqualified.

Okay, go ahead, pick New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, then New Year's Day fucks you are the first day of any one of your New Year's Eve, like, resolutions goes into play.

So that means, like, no sweets, you're.

Going to the gym, smoking or going.

To the gym or whatever it is.

Yeah, that goes into effect.

You may Be hungover or at least just tired because you were up late the night before.

And then the next day you gotta go to work after being on vacation for the last however long.

So I say New Year's Day, not no New Year's Eve.

I'll get.

Yeah, you're right, you're right, you're right.

By New Year's Day, I.

You're right.

I.

In our First Rank stuff podcast, I need to change my answer and you have convinced me to change my answer.

It's not New Year's Day, it's New Year's Eve.

Yes.

New Year's Eve.

Yes.

Okay, great.

You get out of work early.

Like, there's a lot of pluses to New Year's Eve.

You dress up, you get to like celebrate.

Usually you go something fancy like, I'll give you New Year's Eve.

I think that's a valid holiday.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

All right, I'm going to lead the next one then.

So number four.

Number four was one.

When I was thinking about this, it kind of snuck in as a dark horse.

Like I was kind of surprised like when I, when I came up with this one.

But number four for me is honestly Memorial Day.

And Memorial Day.

Okay, start a summer start of summer barbecue, three day weekend again, the time off work theme.

Kids are pretty much done with school at this point, so the teachers don't give a flying fiddlers about anything.

But the downsides of it are that it's often taken up by like a dental convention that Mrs.

Omni Talk has to go to or, you know, somebody plans a wedding, which I also hate weddings on holidays.

Like, that's just a big freaking pet peeve of mine.

But you're getting, you're getting invited to a lot of weddings these days, Chris in your 40s.

But yeah, I am actually still do.

But.

Yes, but, but it always happens.

Like people do that at weddings on Memorial Day and stuff.

So.

But so, you know, so it gets why it's not higher is those things, right?

Like, it's just, it's, it's sometimes, sometimes just gets clouded up or, or clamped up with other activities around it.

So I don't get to spend it to the degree that I want to, but I like it because, you know, start a summer and it's kind of like, it's kind of got a summer solstice vibe that I have for.

That it has for me.

But what, what's your fourth?

I'm curious.

Yeah, my fourth is St.

Patrick's Day.

Because if you do St.

Patrick's Day.

Right.

I totally forgot about St.

Patrick's Day.

Don't think that you do this right as you age as much.

Yeah, but, I mean, the St.

Patrick's Day that I've spent in Chicago or in New York and even here In Minneapolis and St.

Paul, like, we have.

In St.

Paul, we have a big.

And Minneapolis, we have a big, like, Irish culture and heritage here, too.

Yeah.

And I think you get up in the morning, you start your day with a Guinness, and you, like, go do, like, have breakfast at a local Irish bar.

Like, that day is full of fun, and you go to bed early, and it's great.

The only downside is the next day.

You know, the next day.

But you're right.

You're right.

You're convincing me that I should have googled the holidays, because I can't believe St.

Patrick's Day did not make my holidays.

This was another one that was on the list.

I was.

I'm bumping Memorial Day.

Memorial Day, you're gone.

As I'm doing this, Memorial Day is out, and I'm going.

I'm putting St.

Patrick's Day in number four.

So you are.

With you.

Yeah.

You love an Irish bar more than anyone.

Like, no.

I actually am surprised that wasn't on your list.

I thought that was going to be, like, number two.

Like.

Right, right, right.

It actually might move up in the rankings as we do this.

And, I mean, I.

I was derelict in my duties here.

Like, I should be allowed to rank stuff.

No.

This.

No.

All right, number three.

What's number three?

Number three for me is Fourth of July.

I love July because it's always nice out.

Especially, like, living in Minnesota and growing up here.

Like, it's always been associated with, like, going to a lake somewhere, hanging out with friends.

Like, a full long day and night of, like, fun activities.

It's usually nice out.

Boat parades, like, the whole thing.

Like, America.

It's, like, one of my favorite days.

Yeah.

It's Fourth of July.

Everybody's.

Everybody's happy.

I like the America drop.

That was great.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Actually, I'm gonna.

I'm still.

I'm gonna.

I'm gonna give a little preview.

That was actually my number two.

I love Fourth of July.

I love Fourth of July.

So, okay, so.

And I'm with you on everything.

Like, you get the barbecues.

Awesome.

You get the day off.

You can day drink.

I like day drinking, which is why I can't believe I didn't have St.

Patrick's Day in there.

Yes.

Common theme.

Common theme.

Here is day trips, camping.

Everything's on the table with Fourth of July.

You can do Fourth of July.

You're going to need to move camping right off of that list for both of us.

But in theory, one could camp, and one could.

One could camp.

Yes.

Should you lose your mind and want to.

Right?

Yes, one could camp.

You can do it from your roof.

I've celebrated Fourth of July from many roofs.

Rooftops in my days.

You know, houses or apartment buildings.

The only downside, though, to Fourth of July, in my opinion, which honestly kept it from being a solid number one.

Yeah.

Is it sucks when it falls on a Monday through Thursday because you got to go to work the next day.

That's the only thing that just drives me.

Some might work the next day, but, you know, this is like one of those weeks during the summer where people are just like.

Like Thanksgiving week where people are like.

The whole week's discounted.

Like, people just go on vacation that week, so nothing gets done anyway.

So, I mean, you could go to work the next day, but.

Yeah, that's true.

That's true.

One of your days off, that would be.

That's true.

That's true.

Yeah.

All right.

So my number three, though my number three was actually Christmas, so.

My number three was Christmas.

Okay.

Yeah, number three.

So.

Oh, I'm curious.

Do you have it right tire?

We'll find out when you do your number two.

Mainly.

No, mainly because the thing I love about Christmas ad.

Again, common thieves.

No one works that entire week, which is why I love Christmas.

Like, in the U.S.

yeah.

It's over.

Peace out.

You know, it's good food, family.

But why it's not higher for me.

This is why it's not higher for me, is it can get a little too hectic, get a little too crazy.

People can get a little down.

They can get that, like.

What's that?

Seasonal holiday Disorder.

Whatever.

You know.

Seasonal Effective disorder.

Yeah, Seasonal Effective Distance Effectiveness Disorder.

That's hard to say on a podcast, but, you know, so it's just a lot of emotion tied up with holidays, families in town.

It gets, you know, it gets cramps your style a little bit.

Least amount of light of the entire year again.

Yeah, I know, I know.

You're giving me a hard time about summer solstice.

No, you're right.

There's no.

It's dark the whole time here.

Yeah, you're right.

Yeah, right.

You're right.

So.

So.

Yeah.

So what?

Okay, now I'm really curious, then.

What is your number two?

Okay.

My number two, I.

This Is my number two.

Because I want it to be.

But I have a backup in case you disqualify me for my number two.

Oh, in case I disqualify you.

Okay.

Number two is my birthday.

Can that be a holiday?

If not, I have a backup.

If not, I have a backup.

I think it.

No, I think you need a backup.

I think it needs to be.

Not everyone in the world can celebrate your.

Well, I guess they could, but it's.

I think we need a backup.

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

I mean, in terms of, like, to me, it's like, that's a.

That's, like, one of my favorite holidays of Ann for the year.

So before we.

Before we ask you to give her back up, like, what is the rationale for your birthday being ranked number two?

I just feel like that's like, who doesn't love a day where, like, you get to hear from all of your friends and family, you get to spend time with them.

Like, you get fun things.

You get a free Starbucks.

Like, I feel like those are the days where it's just like, this is.

There's so much joy associated.

But I'll go to my backup.

My backup.

Another.

Another year closer to death, too, I guess.

You know, I mean, can you tell that both of us are on opposite ends of the spectrum here?

Like, this is why.

This is why Christmas is number three.

It's dark and depressing.

And your birthday, you get another year closer to death.

Like, or you get to hang out with all your friends, family, share all that stuff.

Stuff.

You know.

Right.

Like those basket.

Yeah.

All right.

What's your.

What's your other number?

So my.

My other number two is actually Memorial Day.

I picked that for the reasons that you did.

Outlined.

Yes.

Because, again, like, can you tell that Minnesota is a miserable place to live most of the year?

Because Memorial Day, like, you said, kids are almost done with school.

Everybody's, like, kicking off the summer.

If you work at a place that observes summer Fridays, which I did for several years when I worked in advertising, it was like, this was the kickoff to summer Fridays.

Everybody's, like, really ready to, like, get outside and make the most of the summer.

And there's no better time in Minnesota than summer.

So I.

For all the reasons that you identified about Memorial Day, I also like the other kind of fun part of this, and this is true of Fourth of July, too, and is.

I like when you get to honor the veterans on this day.

Like, I think it's a really cool time to, like.

Like, when you're in the Grocery store.

You can be like, thank you for your service.

Like that, that time and like that pride, which I don't feel like we get a.

An opportunity enough to recognize the veterans in our country.

Like, I do love that, like the.

Seeing the kids go up to somebody, like a, you know, a World War II vet that's got his hat on at Jerry's grocery store and like, he.

They get to go up and be like, thank you for your service.

And I just, I love that part of it, too.

So number.

Yeah, that's a great point.

I forgot about that.

We've.

We've regularly visited the, the veterans cemetery too, here in town.

Yeah.

And.

Yeah.

Take the kids over there.

You know, my wife's a veteran too, so.

Yeah, that's a great point.

So I, you know, if we had a.

Who's winning the rankings on this podcast, which we might.

At the end, I think Memorial Day is the winner of the overall rankings, even though it might not be ranked number one.

It is like the surprise hit of this podcast.

Yeah.

All right.

And I can't wait to do number one, because I know you are going to vehemently disagree with mine, but you go first.

What's your number one?

Christmas.

Number one, Holiday.

Always has, always will be.

Yes.

Okay.

Why?

Because unlike you, I have very positive memories associated with Christmas and always had.

It was my number three.

It's number three.

It's number one.

For me, it's like Christmas, the Christmas season lasts a long time of the year.

And my number one thing about it is that it brings out the goodness in people.

And I think that for the whole.

Pretty much for the whole month of December, you see people going above and beyond to, like, do things to help people in need.

They're just kinder.

People open doors for people.

Like, there's, you know, there's like a general positivity in the air maybe until you get to your Christmas, family gatherings.

I don't know everybody's situation, but in my case, it was always like a really warm, positive, fun time.

My parents and grandparents always, like, made a huge deal of Christmas, so that, that was always a great thing.

And so I just, I don't know, I feel like I get excited for it.

I feel like Hallmark movies are out.

Kindness is in the air.

The spirit of giving.

All these things, Chris, that make Christmas so wonderful.

The holiday movie, you know, Jude Law looks amazing in that.

You know, like, I get it.

I get it.

I mean, I can go with.

I can go with Christmas is number one.

I'm not.

I'M not going to dispute that.

I mean I had it number three.

But.

But my number one did not even make your top five.

Five.

That's gonna, that's what's interesting here.

And I think, you know what, what is it?

Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving.

It's.

It's next week.

It's right around the corner.

Oh, it's so awesome.

You get two days off, Ann.

Two days off heading into the weekend.

The food is amazing.

You get family too.

And you get family for a shorter period of time.

So, you know, I like that.

It's also a big retail weekend.

I don't have to spend money on food all weekend because I can just eat leftovers.

I can eat turkey, I can eat stuffing.

I can eat sweet potato roast, buttered rolls.

Like, it's just amazing.

Feast.

There's football.

Like, I just, I love Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the best.

You.

That's like Thanksgiving is my favorite.

Like I'm gonna ba humbug your number one because.

Okay, go ahead.

Is my favorite time to get the hell out of here.

Like I use those four days and I'm going on vacation.

I am not eating any of your disgusting food.

Especially the gravy.

So gross.

And like you hate gravy, don't you?

If you, if you like, if you had to ask people, I'd be curious if you poll people, like, what is the most high stress time that our holiday that you can think of being around your family?

Definitely Thanksgiving.

Definitely Thanksgiving.

Over Christmas.

People are.

Oh, for sure.

People are having everybody.

Like not everybody.

A lot of people in the US celebrate Thanksgiving.

So this is like regardless of your, you know, religious like this non denominational holiday.

So people are drinking.

It gets really sloppy.

People are like talking about inappropriate things.

I just, I don't, I think if you polled people, they'd say that Thanksgiving is more high stress.

The most high.

So, so you're, you're.

So you're Thanksgiving dinner all you ready at one time.

Like, no.

Yeah, the cooking coordination is tough.

But I think you have the same issue at Christmas.

So I'm kind of, I'm kind of knowing.

Avoiding that point.

But.

So wait.

The thing I want to click into here is you're saying that your Thanksgiving dinner table conversations are a little more heated than your average Christmas dinner conversations or people are a little more lit up during Thanksgiving.

For sure.

You're like right, you're right.

After an election.

Like, you're like, really?

Yeah, I just, I think it's a bad time of year.

You will you start by saying what you're thankful for.

And then it turns into how in the world could you have voted for that person?

And everybody leaves drunk and angry.

That's that.

I love my synopsis of Thanksgiving.

My absolute favorite thing is to sit down at any after any family dinner, whether it's Christmas or even Thanksgiving, any dinner really any family dinner, and sit there with coffee and just debate the hell out of everything.

Which you know, I would love.

Which is what partly all this podcast has come about.

It's originated like I could do.

Yeah, but you're a master debater.

Like you're a master debater.

So you win those arguments.

Like you're not just casually sitting there trying to have a glass of wine and like picked up with your family.

You are prepared at any point in time.

Like you could be mid sleep and wake up and still debate the hell out of something with somebody.

Not all of us are like you, Chris.

So it does not end well.

You when you can't rapid fire arguments of like what policy was put into place on X date because this helped, you know, children get free school lunches.

Like, I don't know.

Oh my God.

It gets into bad territory.

Oh my God.

That is.

That is true.

I.

I have, I have fractured quite a few family relationships over the years.

As I'm thinking about this, my mom, if she's listening, will.

Will understand that that comment very well.

Oh man.

And that was fun.

Oh my God, I had a ton of fun doing this.

Did you have fun?

I thought it was great.

I had such a good time.

I wanna, I want more holidays to throw in the mix.

I know we got tons, folks.

We got tons of stuff.

We're planning to rank here.

We're gonna see if you guys like this.

We'll keep doing it.

Um, I think at the end of the day, which, which holiday snuck in there that surprised you?

I think for me it was Memorial Day.

Like how we both came out from Memorial Day for sure was really interesting.

I had no doubt we were going to split on Thanksgiving because I know how much you just loathe gravy.

Gravy enough, despite all the other points you had is is enough to turn your stomach.

So.

So, so we'll have to do it again, I think.

And, and I think we'll have to do this again.

You and you personally, you're such a ranker.

I love it.

You're such a ranker.

I don't know.

I think rank stuff might be contention for the best name for this.

So people listening 1 Submit your favorite title.

You're such a rank or rank stuff as which is your preferred title?

If we continue this podcast beyond one episode, which is highly debatable, and then two, what other things should we be ranking?

Anything is open.

There is no thing that is out of bounds for this conversation.

Yes.

And the other the last point I'd make too, is for those listening and watching, let us know, were you Team Ann or Team Chris in terms of how we ranked our five holidays?

Because we are curious to know.

And was there a holiday that both of us missed that you think should have been included on the list?

You know, so let us know on social media or on YouTube.

And of course, as always, on behalf of Ann and myself, be careful out there.