LOZAD Ian Randall Claflin

Thursday, March 19, 2009. The time is 6:55 AM. As my shirt proclaims, this is a special day. I pass my sister as she leaves to catch the school bus and she is wearing the same shirt. I drive to school and find that dozens of my friends are also wearing them. The questions begin to pop up throughout the halls of Cheshire High School. What are these shirts? What do they stand for? Why are people wearing them? …Because this day, March 19, is LOZAD – a day to breathe a sigh of relief and give thanks, to whatever deity, deities, or force of probability you believe in, for the fact that zombies do not exist.

LOZAD stands for “Lack of Zombies Appreciation Day.” It is a “holiday” I created on which we celebrate the fact that zombies, arguably the most horrific fictional monsters in popular culture, do not exist… yet! Yes, LOZAD is a parody of other holidays, but that did not deter interest. When I first thought of LOZAD, I asked a number of people if they would celebrate such a holiday and all of the responses were positive. As the date drew nearer, I recruited a group of friends to spread the news of LOZAD. Orders were taken for tee shirts and in the end, the “holiday” was a huge success. When the last bell of the day rang and the...