No Such Thing as President's Day?

Dr. Frank Wright | Center for Christian Statesmanship | Updated: Feb 16, 2015

No Such Thing as President's Day?

What if I told you there was no such thing as a federal holiday called President's Day? Would you believe me?

If not me, then would you believe the Office of Personnel Management? Their website does not list President's day as a federal holiday. Don't trust the bureaucrats? Then turn directly to the U.S. Code. Section 6103(a) of title 5, to be precise. There you will see a federal holiday for February listed, but not President's Day.

The fact is, there is no federal President's Day holiday. So, despite my strong sense of patriotism - especially considering all that has happened in our nation of late - I respectfully say "phooey" to President's Day. And with good reason.

That's because the Monday holiday in February that we have so come to enjoy is actually, technically, legally called... Washington's Birthday, an American tradition that began more than 200 years ago and has been celebrated for most of our nation's history.

In the 19th century, Washington's Birthday grew into a highlighted national holiday, marked by celebrations and speeches given in honor of Washington. The holiday recognized the pervasive influence Washington had on our society. Gilbert Stuart's famous portrait of Washington hung prominently in millions of American homes. Schoolchildren learned to recite Washington's Farewell Address, which became an essential part of the very fabric of our culture.

Over the years, Washington's legend grew and grew. We learned as children the story of Washington and the cherry tree. Although now we know that Washington probably never uttered those legendary words, it was his impeccable moral character that made such stories entirely believable!

Then, in the latter half of the 20th century, something happened to George Washington. He suddenly became a man of questionable character, the supposed father of illegitimate children, and a secularist who really didn't care much about religion-never mind Christianity. We became, as a nation, almost embarrassed of the legend we had believed about this man. We even stopped celebrating his birthday.

Don't believe the debunkers. George Washington was a man of impeccable character with a gift for servant leadership that may be unparalleled in world history. His greatness is not simply a matter of legend or of the history books. His contemporaries recognized and honored him for his integrity.

Thomas Jefferson said, "[Washington's] integrity was most pure, his justice the most inflexible I have ever known.... He was, indeed, in every sense of the word, a wise, a good and a great man." Abigail Adams remarked, "If we look through the whole tenor of his life, history will not produce to us a parallel."

And consider this fact: Washington's Birthday was first officially recognized in 1796, three years before his death. Once source says that some Americans informally marked Washington's birthday many years before 1796. How many leaders have had their birthdays celebrated both before and after their death?

Washington was, in fact, a Christian. Those who claim he was a deist probably don't know what a deist is. A deist would not consistently refer to active, intervening "Providence" of God for the care of his nation. A deist would not compile a diary of private prayers calling on Jesus Christ to pardon him of his sins. As Chief Justice John Marshall said, "Without making ostentatious professions of religion, [Washington] was a sincere believer in the Christian faith and a truly devout man."

I am convinced this foundation of faith gave Washington the key trait that led to his greatness: moral clarity. This phrase has become somewhat of a buzzword after 9/11. But let's not be mistaken: moral clarity comes only from having an internal moral compass that can guide thoughts and decisions. George Washington had such a compass.

I'm sure the cultural changeover to President's Day was a matter of convenience. Let's just combine Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday and call it President's Day. It sounds so good, but I still contend, with all due respect to President Lincoln and the other presidents, that something is lost in the amorphous President's Day. The office of president commands great respect while one holds the office. But we remember great presidents because of their individual character.

So again, I say "phooey" to President's Day. Let's follow the letter of the law on this one and celebrate Washington's Birthday with grand gatherings and eloquent speeches in tribute to the Father of our Country. Perhaps Congress could revive the longstanding tradition (which was abandoned a few decades ago) of reciting Washington's Farewell Address on the anniversary of his birth. After all, while it is inevitable that America will have more presidents, we really need more presidents like Washington.

*This article first published February 12, 2002.

 


Dr. Frank Wright is Executive Director of the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship in Washington, D.C.

No Such Thing as President's Day?