Forgetting Our Presidents' Birthdays

  • Saturday, February 13, 2016

Surely I'm not the only one who noticed today's date this morning and immediately thought, "Hey, it's Abraham Lincoln's birthday!"  Honest Abe was born 207 years ago today--as was Charles Darwin. 

When I was a kid in school, Feb. 12 was an annual and much anticipated holiday, Abraham Lincoln's birthday, a no-school day, and we certainly knew and understood who it was all about, and why.  Of course we all appreciated a day out of school in Indiana, where February is the longest month of the year--back when 'snow days' were more scarce than real holidays--but we were well-reminded of the significance of it all. 

And just 10 days later, on Feb. 22, there was another holiday to honor George Washington's birthday.  Again, we well knew the who and the why of it. 

Now our calendars merely indicate "Presidents' Day" or some variation of that, just one of several federally-mandated three-day-weekend Monday holidays that really signify nothing of note, except that federal employees are officially excused from performing any useful work on that day. 

Internet sources offer a lot of information about Presidents', or President's, or Presidents Day, some of which may be true.  One common statement is that the official federal name of the holiday is Washington's Birthday--mandated to be observed on the third Monday of February.  Weirdly, the holiday can only occur on Feb. 15 through 21, never on the date of Washington's birthday, the 22.  I suppose that makes sense to someone, somewhere, somehow. 

Whatever the calendar may say or not say, I remember Feb. 12 as Lincoln's birthday and Feb. 22 as Washington's birthday.  And for the smart alecks and whippersnappers out there, no, I never knew either of those gentleman heroes while they were alive, and I never attended the funeral of either of them.  My recollection of their birthdays is just a matter of well deserved recognition and respect, not of personal acquaintance.  It is enough. 

Larry Cloud
Chattanooga


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