February 14, 2012: 613 words
OPINION: Resurrecting Washington’s Birthday
The chopping down of a cherry tree, rejection of a crown, caution against foreign intrigue, holding fast to God, country, and virtue – these were all lessons that generations of American school children learned about our first President, General George Washington, on his February 22nd birthday each year. I still remember all those traditional cherry pies on this date in remembrance of the great “father I cannot tell a lie” Washington lore.
However, this February 20, most Americans believe we are celebrating Presidents Day. That is in fact what it says on every calendar I have seen. If you ask, most people will say this federal holiday is to memorialize all our Presidents. A few believe it is specifically to commemorate George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Officially, by federal law, it is neither. It is solely to recognize George Washington’s birthday. But due to a variety of reasons stretching back to the 50’s, we have gradually lost sight of the purpose and even proper name of this important federal holiday.
George Washington’s birthday was celebrated unofficially nationwide as early as the late 1700’s. Congress first approved an official federal holiday to commemorate President Washington in 1880, to be celebrated on his February 22nd recognized date of birth. Washington was actually born on February 11, 1731, but that date was changed retroactively to February 22 after the British Empire converted from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752.
But starting in the 1950’s, Congress began debating whether to combine Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays into a single federal holiday to be celebrated as Presidents day. That debate continued up to the passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968. Throughout these debates, every attempt to transform Washington’s birthday into a generic Presidents Day or even a Lincoln day was defeated.
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved federal holidays to Monday to allow more three-day weekends, and designated the third Monday in February to commemorate Washington’s Birthday. But due to all those debates over a Presidents Day since 1951, we have gradually resorted to referring to this day – incorrectly – as Presidents Day.
Why does it matter? Because federal holidays are more than just a day off. They are to remind us of the sacrifices and virtues that make our nation a great exception in world history, and provide the foundation for our freedoms and prosperity. And they provide a powerful incentive to teach our children the same.
No President provides a greater number of teachable stories than George Washington. From the cherry tree tale, to his leadership, defeats, and victories in the French and Indian and Revolutionary War, his personal sacrifices to help finance our young country, the rejection of his admirer’s offers to declare him King, his rules and practices of decency, civility, honor, and religious duty, Washington provides a powerful example of the high standards that built our nation, and that are necessary to preserve it.
The clear and indisputable annual recognition of Washington is vital to maintaining this tradition. That has unfortunately eroded over the last several decades as we have allowed this holiday to devolve into a far less meaningful generic Presidents Day.
For this reason, I have co-sponsored the bipartisan H.R. 2268 by Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), which would re-establish February 22nd as the official date for this federal holiday. With this change, we can help resurrect the nation-changing importance of our first President, and hopefully implant those virtues in a new generation of Americans.
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www.house.gov/carter
Contact: John.Stone@mail.house.gov; (202) 225-3864
U.S. Rep. John Carter
31st District of Texas
409 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
