A cri de coeur for Washington’s Birthday

According to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which went into effect in 1971, Washington’s Birthday is always observed as a federal holiday on the third Monday of February. That act of Congress applied also to Memorial Day (celebrated the last Monday of May) and Columbus Day (celebrated the second Monday in October) for federal workers to enjoy a three-day weekend in observance of those holidays.

The federal holiday is still known as Washington’s Birthday, but the states vary their designations for it. For example, 20 states call the holiday “Presidents Day” or “President’s Day.” Eleven states retain the name “Washington’s Birthday.” Another five states include Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12) with Washington’s. Other states place Washington alongside other figures, and some do not have an official observance at all.

Confused yet?

Even though Washington’s Birthday is still the name of the federal holiday, the popular designation for the holiday is Presidents Day, ostensibly to honor all the presidents rather than focusing on just one. One common misperception is that when Congress decreed that Washington’s birthday (Feb. 22) be moved to the third Monday of February, it was to include an observance of Lincoln’s birthday. While this was not stated in the act, nor was it the intention of Congress to lump all the presidents into one holiday, many if not most people operate under this assumption.

To make matters worse, President’s Day (along with Memorial Day and Columbus Day), has fallen prey to the inevitable American pastime of commercialization. For some reason, mattresses, appliances, and furniture are all on sale for Presidents Day. Nothing can trivialize American history, the institution of the presidency, or the contributions of George Washington more than a Presidents Day sale.

This thing we call “Presidents Day” flattens out the celebration of George Washington so much as to render the holiday meaningless. This flies in the face of the best of American tradition going back to the founding era. Federalists like John Adams, our second president and vice president under Washington, wanted Americans to celebrate Independence Day and Washington’s birthday every year in observance of a sort of civic liturgy. Adams wanted these observances to be regular and orderly to serve as a contrast between American liberty birthed in the Revolution and French radicalism hatched out of the Reign of Terror.

Regular, orderly, and sincere observance of July 4 and Washington’s birthday were, for the Federalists, necessary as reminders of the sacrifices of our forebears who bravely established American independence. They were also for civic remembrance of the virtuous example set by our first president, who was eulogized by “Lighthorse” Henry Lee as “first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

To return to the original intention of early observances of Washington’s birthday, families and localities can be intentional about remembering George Washington and what his life and legacy meant to our existence as a nation. Washington led the Continental Army to victory against the British in the Revolutionary War. He presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. And he served his country as its first president under the Constitution, and after serving two terms, he stepped down. His having stepped down as president after serving two terms was one of the most memorable and significant precedents set in American politics.

It was reminiscent of his resignation as commanding general of the Continental Army in December 1783. In his resignation speech to the Continental Congress, he said, “Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of action, and bidding an affectionate farewell to this august body, under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.” Magnanimity was one of the most famous marks of Washington’s public and private life.

We Americans need more reminders of Washington’s character, not less. On this year’s holiday, forget about the mattresses. Make a point to honor Washington’s memory instead.