Ubuntu – Do not display user name in the panel

The only possible solution I can think of is the following: Evolution, as I am aware, features synchronization with Google Calendar (I use Thunderbird myself so I cannot guarantee how well it works). Google Calendar has plenty of options, including subscribing to public calendars, amongst those I am sure there is one for your region's holidays. The solution would be subscribing to that specific calendar in GC, then synching the calendar with Evolution. All of Evolution's marked dates should automatically be added to the panel calendar entry.

Here are a few links I hope you find helpful:

http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=37098 - How to add a public calendar to GC

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1599583 - How to sync GC and Evolution

http://email.about.com/od/googlecalendartips/qt/Move_All_Events_from_One_Google_Calendar_Calendar_to_Another.htm - In case the synchronization doesn't pull the public calendar entries, it needs some further fiddling, but it should work.

You can remove the session menu and add an item called 'Action Button' instead. Per default, it will display the usual xfce log-out menu (same as the main menu item).

If this is too pristine, you can add a custom launcher and add the various commands supported by xfce4-session-logout: (excerpt from xfce4-session-logout --help)

  -l, --logout             Log out without displaying the logout dialog
  -h, --halt               Halt without displaying the logout dialog
  -r, --reboot             Reboot without displaying the logout dialog
  -s, --suspend            Suspend without displaying the logout dialog
  --hibernate              Hibernate without displaying the logout dialog
  -f, --fast               Log out quickly; don't save the session

N.b.: This is from xubuntu 11.04, should still work in 11.10.