Presidents' Day - What Does it Mean?
The observance of special day of recogni-
Blue Valley Men’s Pool
League Scores and Standings
Blue Valley Men’s ary 9th: Division A -
Pool League Scores and Five Points A 208, Wind
Standings as of Febru- Gap Legion 193,
ary 9th. Devery’s 181, Pen Argyl
Scores of February 9th: Rep. Club A 187,
Roseto Legion 9, Ziggy’s 143, Bangor
Devery’s 8 ; Ziggy’s 9, VFW B 142, Bangor
Bangor VFW A 6; Five VFW A 112.
Points A 12, Penna Division B - Mineral
Roadhouse 3; Pen Springs 206, Roseto
Argyl Rep. Club A 11, R&G 206*, Roseto
Five Points B 5; Bangor Legion 163, Pen Argyl
VFW B 8, Pen Argyl Rep. Club B 150*, Five
Rep. Club B 7; Roseto R Points B 145, Slateford
& G 11, Mineral Inn 142, Penna. Road-
Springs 7; Wind Gap house 131. *A make-up
Legion 8, Slateford Inn match has yet to be
7. Standings thru Febru- played.
February would never observance meant that
Presidents' Day in the tion. The only problem fall on his birth date of the traditional 10-day
United States is reminis- was that he was born on February 22nd). There separation between
cent of the Indian fable February 12th, and so was also an attempt to Washington's Birthday
of the blind men and the now we found ourselves rename the public (February 22) and
elephant in the sense with two presidential holiday "Presidents' Lincoln's Birthday
that the holiday seems to birthdays that fell within Day", but this stalled in (February 12) had essen-
mean something differ- a short time of one committee. "It was the tially been eliminated.
ent to everybody. another. Prior to 1968, collective judgment of However, while
Depending on your this fact didn't seem to the Committee on the Congress had created a
perspective or what part bother anyone and Judiciary," stated Mr. uniform federal holiday
of the country you're things were running William Moore law, there was not a
from, Presidents' Day is along pretty smoothly in McCulloch (R-Ohio) uniform holiday title
intended to honor the birthday celebration "that this [naming the agreement among the
George Washington, department -- February day "President's Day"] individual states.
George Washington and 22nd was observed as a would be unwise. Even though most
Abraham Lincoln, or all federal public holiday to Certainly, not all Presi- states with individual
the American presi- honor the birthday of dents are held in the holidays honoring
dents. And for many of George Washington and same high esteem as the Washington and Lincoln
us who don't get the day February 12th was Father of our Country. shifted their date of
off from work, the observed as a public There are many who are Washington's Birthday
holiday seems to pass holiday (in most states) not inclined to pay their to correspond to the
almost unnoticed. So to honor the birthday of respects to certain Presi- third Monday in Febru-
what is Presidents' Day Abraham Lincoln. dents. Moreover, it is ary, some states chose
and how did it come Then things changed. probable that the mem- not to retain the federal
about? In 1968, the 90th bers of one political holiday title and
According to the Congress was deter- party would not relish renamed their holiday
Gregorian or "New mined to create a honoring a President "President's Day." -
Style" calendar that is in uniform system of from the other political (About.com)
use today, George Wash- federal Monday party whether he was in
ington was born on holidays, so they voted office, no matter how
February 22, 1732, but to shift three existing outstanding history may
according to the Julian holidays (including find his leadership."
or "Old Style" calendar Washington's Birthday) The single holiday
that was in effect in to Mondays. The law
England and her colo- took effect in 1971.
nies until 1752, his birth As a result,
date was February 11th. Washington's Birthday
(This is because the new holiday was changed
calendar added eleven from its fixed February
days to the old date to 22 date to the third
bring the calendar year Monday in February.
into step with the astro- This change was not
nomical year). without controversy.
So back in the 1790s, There was some concern
while Washington was that Washington's iden-
still alive, some Ameri- tity would be lost (since
cans celebrated his the third Monday in
birthday on February
11th and some on Febru-
ary 22nd.
Along came Abraham
Lincoln, another famous
US president, who was
also deserving of a