In re Presidents Day
We're watching the same failure loop.
(Scott Johnson) George Washington was the first American to be honored with a national holiday. The holiday was observed annually on February 22, the anniversary of his birth. Observing Washington’s birthday as a holiday we absorbed the idea that Washington was a great man and that we owe him a debt of gratitude. Unfortunately, February 22 was last observed as a holiday in honor of Washington in 1970.
By law, the holiday honoring Washington’s birthday was moved to the third Monday of February. It has generally taken the name of Presidents’ Day. Today is Presidents Day. As Seinfeld was a show about nothing, Presidents Day is a holiday about nothing, with the possible exception of retail shopping. More background on the evolution of the holiday is accessible here.
The holiday reminds me of Lincoln’s characterization of one of Stephen Douglas’s arguments at the first of their historic debates. Lincoln called out the argument in issue as “a specious and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a horse-chestnut to be a chestnut horse. [Laughter.]” Even if we don’t know what a horse-chestnut is, we get the idea. Saying it doesn’t make it so.
The same thought applies to Washington’s birthday. Making the third Monday in February a holiday to observe it doesn’t make it so. We will celebrate Washington’s birthday in due course next Sunday.
We're watching the same failure loop.
(Scott Johnson) George Washington was the first American to be honored with a national holiday. The holiday was observed annually on February 22, the anniversary of his birth. Observing Washington’s birthday as a holiday we absorbed the idea that Washington was a great man and that we owe him a debt of gratitude. Unfortunately, February 22 was last observed as a holiday in honor of Washington in 1970.
By law, the holiday honoring Washington’s birthday was moved to the third Monday of February. It has generally taken the name of Presidents’ Day. Today is Presidents Day. As Seinfeld was a show about nothing, Presidents Day is a holiday about nothing, with the possible exception of retail shopping. More background on the evolution of the holiday is accessible here.
The holiday reminds me of Lincoln’s characterization of one of Stephen Douglas’s arguments at the first of their historic debates. Lincoln called out the argument in issue as “a specious and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a horse-chestnut to be a chestnut horse. [Laughter.]” Even if we don’t know what a horse-chestnut is, we get the idea. Saying it doesn’t make it so.
The same thought applies to Washington’s birthday. Making the third Monday in February a holiday to observe it doesn’t make it so. We will celebrate Washington’s birthday in due course next Sunday.
In re Presidents Day
We're watching the same failure loop.
(Scott Johnson) George Washington was the first American to be honored with a national holiday. The holiday was observed annually on February 22, the anniversary of his birth. Observing Washington’s birthday as a holiday we absorbed the idea that Washington was a great man and that we owe him a debt of gratitude. Unfortunately, February 22 was last observed as a holiday in honor of Washington in 1970.
By law, the holiday honoring Washington’s birthday was moved to the third Monday of February. It has generally taken the name of Presidents’ Day. Today is Presidents Day. As Seinfeld was a show about nothing, Presidents Day is a holiday about nothing, with the possible exception of retail shopping. More background on the evolution of the holiday is accessible here.
The holiday reminds me of Lincoln’s characterization of one of Stephen Douglas’s arguments at the first of their historic debates. Lincoln called out the argument in issue as “a specious and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a horse-chestnut to be a chestnut horse. [Laughter.]” Even if we don’t know what a horse-chestnut is, we get the idea. Saying it doesn’t make it so.
The same thought applies to Washington’s birthday. Making the third Monday in February a holiday to observe it doesn’t make it so. We will celebrate Washington’s birthday in due course next Sunday.
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