Happy President's Day! Please comment on this holiday.
I used to know the exact dates the two Presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, were born. I think it’s February 12 and February 22 respectively. It’s been so long since the two birthdates were put together and became President’s Day.
I vaguely remember the controversy over combining the two birthdays and honoring all Presidents. The argument was that people would forget why we were celebrating and they’d only be thinking about vacations and shopping sales.
I remember that law (or whatever it’s called) combining the two birthdays was supposed to make it easier for federal employees and other workers to go on vacations if they could count on having every third Monday in February. Everyone would benefit – the employees, the hotel industry, the food industry, the stores in malls.
As it happens, I am taking the kids to Walmart to take advantage of sales they are having today. Heidi needs new tops and I need a new pot for my shamrock plants which are going to take over my window otherwise. Both plants are just about bursting from the pots in which they’re planted.
But … getting back to Presidents’ Day, I’m wondering what the kids think about it. I wonder if the teachers make any big deal out of it? When I was in school, if we were about to have a holiday – like Washington or Lincoln’s birthdays or Veterans’ Day – we did worksheets and talked about why the day was special.
If teachers or parents didn’t make a point of talking to kids about why the day was special, it’d get lost in the ads. If I was a kid, I’d be thinking only one thing: day off! Maybe one other thing: shopping for stuff! My great grandchildren might be totally clueless about why they have a day off.
I just polled my kids and they tell me that no one says anything about the holiday.
Heidi said, “Well, I guess it’s to honor them.”
Billy said, “No one has ever said why we’re celebrating.”
Kristin, having heard these answers, agreed her teacher didn’t say anything and she knows it’s about honoring the Presidents.
Now I’m going back in my mind to the school years to try and remember about these two Presidents. George Washington was the general in charge of troops during the Revolution. He was very tall for the times. He was elected President, our very first one. And I remember reading in one history book that he had a set of dentures that didn’t fit well. I also read somewhere that some scientists think he may have had Klinefelter’s syndrome. On a more positive note, there’s a legend that when he was a child, he supposedly chopped down the cherry tree. Later, his father asked him about it and he said, “I cannot tell a lie” and admitted to it. Honesty.
Abraham Lincoln was our 16th President. While he was in office we had a dreadful civil war that lasted around 4 bloody years. We learned in school that the North wanted the South to stop slavery. I’m thinking it was a lot more involved than that. He was also a very ‘folksy’ man and liked to tell jokes and funny stores. He would poke fun at himself. Some scientists think he may have had Marfan syndrome, which is what Rich had. Lincoln was always one of my favorite Presidents because of the depth of feeling he had for people.
Presidents’ Day is supposed to honor all the others as well. Some are more memorable than others and some are more infamous. Even President Bush Jr is honored today. Hopefully next President’s day we can honor a totally new one!