Q: With the 4th of July coming up, I wondered if soap operas celebrate holidays. — John, Norfolk, Va.

A: First of all, when I was in school, every soap aired new episodes on holidays. Soaps were very hot and often my holidays revolved around watching the soaps. I now can say I was preparing for my career — an excuse I also used when I cut classes in college. That was in the Stone Age, before TiVo, even before VCRs. I can remember friends getting together for soap-watching parties.

As for soap storylines, holidays were major events. No matter what tragedy was going on, every soap family shared a day of joy. "Guiding Light" featured the annual Fourth of July Bauer family picnic. It was held at Ed Bauer's house. The home had a pool, so everyone took a dip and gave passionate glances to forbidden loves. One Fourth of July, Roger Thorpe, who flipped between good guy and villain every other week, helped Ed's daughter, Michelle, celebrate by setting off firecrackers. Forget that Roger was sleeping with Ed's wife, Rita. Even Ed did for a day.

Thanksgiving has also been a major deal on daytime drama. Unlike a real Thanksgiving Day with one's family, no one looks at their watches, rolls their eyes or realizes that if they had to do this more than once a year they would seek a familial divorce. "General Hospital" was the first soap to show that turkey day could be stuffed with mishaps. Every year, the Quartermaine turkey would be a disaster. The cook may have burnt it, or she may have forgotten to thaw it, or she may have been on strike. So with no food in the house, the Quartermaines ordered pizza. While chomping on pepperonis they would grudgingly admit they loved each other.

Every soap character celebrates Christmas — no matter what their religion. On "Somerset," one of the main characters was Jewish. A famed Yiddish actress, Molly Picon, played her. While it may be normal today for Jewish families to have a Christmas tree, in those days it was not, and that character would not have. Yet she did. Her apartment had a major Christmas tree, not a menorah in sight.

On "One Life to Live," Nora was Jewish. That was only mentioned on Passover. Nora was an awful cook. So instead of observing Passover as a holiday that celebrates the freedom of Jewish slaves in ancient Egypt and reminds us that everyone in the world should be free, it became a sight gag.

Christmas, on the other hand, is always major in daytime. On "General Hospital," Steve Hardy would read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" to children in the hospital. Similarly, on "Guiding Light," Ed Bauer read the story of the first Christmas to children at Cedars Hospital.

Over on "All My Children," Christmas wishes were granted by Clarence. When not granting wishes, Clarence was Father Clarence, the hospital chaplain.

This year the Fourth of July will just offer repeats of "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." "Days of Our Lives" has a new episode.

On July 4, Bree Williamson arrives on "GH" to play Claudette, Nathan's ex-wife. Williamson played Jessica on "One Life to Live." Let the fireworks begin.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.