Monday, February 15, 2010
Happy Presidents Day!
Actually, as you may or may not know, Presidents Day is still REALLY President Washington's birthday... but not even really that since if we were really celebrating President George Washington's birthday we'd be doing so on February 22 every year...
(*SIGH*)
...but, anyway, enough of this brief and shallow history lesson for now.
(*GRIN*)
Sorry for no newsbites over the weekend; my daughter and her boyfriend came down to visit us.
I'm gonna be out most of the day, but I'll try and post a few newsbites when I get home.
To those of you who are working... hope you're making time and a half!
To those who have the day off... hope you enjoy it!
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5 comments:
I believe that President's Day serves as a compromise between those who wanted to celebrate Lincoln's b'day, too and those who wanted to stick with Washington only. Hell would freeze over before the tight-assed money-grubbers who run our society would give the hoi-polloi two days off to honor great men in the same, already short, month. Perish the thought! They'll get one day and be glad that they have that!
Actually, no, Rodak - 'ol Abe didn't have much to do with the "compromise."
Follow the link I provided. It's actually a pretty interesting story.
Me? I'd do away with this "Presidents Day" nonsense and make President Washington's actual birthday - February 22 - a national holiday.
As to Lincoln... I'd be open to creating a separate federal holiday celebrating the birth (February 12) of President Abraham Lincoln.
If I read your sentiments correctly, we're on the same page with regard to the "commercialization" of the holiday.
BILL
Au contraire, it had plenty to do with Lincoln. Here is only part of that "to-do" from the article you linked to:
Why the "Third" Monday in February?
Had the name of the holiday been changed to Presidents' Day, McClory would have gained instant federal holiday recognition for Illinois native son Abraham Lincoln. With the name change no longer a possibility, McClory positioned the federal holiday on the third Monday in February—a date closer to Lincoln's February 12 birth date, knowing the dual presidential birthday spotlight could be shared by Lincoln.
McClory went so far as to suggest a direct link between the February 22 birth date and the third Monday existed: "Indeed, his [Washington's] birthday will be celebrated frequently on February 22, which in many cases will be the third Monday in February. It will also be celebrated on February 23, just as it is at the present time when February 22 falls on the Sunday preceding."
What it boils down to is getting Lincoln recognized along with Washington, but without creating a separate federal holiday (and an extra day off for America's labor force.)
***What it boils down to is getting Lincoln recognized along with Washington, but without creating a separate federal holiday (and an extra day off for America's labor force.)***
It's really a selective federal holiday. I don't have it off. Nor do I have off for MLK Day, Columbus Day or Veteran's Day. Whether or not it's a "Federal" holiday doesn't necessarily mean that private industry is obliged to grant an extra paid vacation to the labor force.
And what's with the angry guy in your picture? You know it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile?
Then frowning is a good way to burn off those extra calories.
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