Washington's Birthday. Lincoln's Birthday. A Holiday?

Today, February 18, 2008, is President's Day, an official holiday of the United States government. It should be, to all of us, a grim reminder of how easy it is for the history of our nation to be both rewritten and forgotten. You see, a February holiday evolved on George Washington's birthday, February 22. By 1796 celebrations of Washington's birthday had become accepted, a means to honor our first president and to celebrate his contributions in the founding of our nation. By the early 1800's Washington's birthday had taken firm root as a national holiday. Then in 1865 the first formal observance of Abraham Lincoln's birthday was established to honor that president, and to celebrate the fact this nation was held together after the Civil War. Lincoln's birthday did not become an official holiday, but most states and much of the federal government, took the day off. Thus it was that on February 11 or 12 for almost 100 years there was a celebration of Lincoln's birthday, and on February 22 there was the official observance of Washington's birthday. Then in 1968, with Lyndon B. Johnson as president, Congress voted not to have two federal holidays in February, so they voted one holiday to be held on the third Monday every February and the reason they gave was (and I quote from that era) "...to simplify the Federal holidays and give federal employees some standard 3-day holidays in the process." They said they were continuing a celebration of Washington's Birthday, and doing away with Lincoln's, but the holiday would be called President's Day, and would honor all persons who have ever served as President. So, today some are taking the day off, and I ask you: who are we honoring; what are we celebrating? Have we forgotten our heritage, our history?<br /> <br /> <I>This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.</I>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/2/207124