Happy holiday!
20/02/23 01:18
When I was in grade school, it seemed like Washington and Lincoln were special among the presidents. We had portraits of both of them in most of our classrooms. I don’t remember any other presidential portraits in my grade school class rooms. It was expected that we all know that Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was February 12 and George Washington’s birthday was February 22. The post office delivered mail on Lincoln’s Birthday but not on Washington’s birthday, which was a federal holiday. The holiday wasn’t observed by local businesses, which remained open. It might have been a bank holiday, but I don’t remember that detail.
Then, in 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved the federal observance of Washington’s Birthday to the third Monday of February. In most states, the day is observed as Presidents’ Day. After the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, it seemed like more places and more institutions began to observe the holiday. Somewhere along the line, by the time our children were in elementary school it was a school holiday, although I’m fairly certain that they didn’t notice the change when we moved from Idaho where it is officially President’s Day to South Dakota where the holiday is officially Presidents’ Day. Note the placement of the apostrophe to see the distinction. Ten states and Puerto Rico observe the holiday with the apostrophe after the s. Eight States observe the holiday with the apostrophe before the s. Nevada and Oregon omit the apostrophe. Ten states call the holiday “Washington’s Birthday.” Maine officially calls the day “Washington’s Birthday/President’s Day.” Arizona’s name for the holiday is “Lincoln/Washington Presidents’ Day.” In my home state of Montana the holiday is “Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday,” while in Minnesota it is “Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday.” Colorado and Utah call the holiday “Washington-Lincoln Day.” Utah is nearly the same omitting the dash and insertion get world “and.” Alabama and Arkansas add another person to the celebration. In Alabama it is “George Washington/Tomas Jefferson Birthday” with no apostrophes and Arkansas calls the day “George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Bates Day.” Daisy Bates was a civil rights activist who place a leading role in the Little Rock Integration Crisis. Delaware does not have an official holiday celebrating Washington or presidents in general. State officials will be working as usual today there.
It would take too much space to list all the differences in the states when it comes to the timing of the observances. In Massachusetts, for example, “Washington’s Birthday” is a holiday falling on the same day as the federal holiday, but the governor is also bound by law to issue an annual “Presidents Day” proclamation on May 29, which is John F. Kennedy’s Birthday. Four states observe Lincoln’s birthday on February 12. In New Mexico, state employees get two holidays: the federal observance on the third Monday in February and “President’s Day” on the Friday following Thanksgiving. In Indiana, Washington’s Birthday is observed on Christmas Eve, or the day preceding the weekend if Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday. Indiana also celebrates Lincoln’s Birthday on the day after Thanksgiving.
So there is no school here today in observance of Presidents’ Day. Our neighbors to the north in British Columbia also have an official holiday today. Up there the day is called “Family Day.” Two thirds of Canadians live in a province that observed a February statuary holiday, but it isn’t an official federal observance. Post offices remain open across Canada and workers don’t have a paid holiday. Canada also has differences on the name of the holiday, depending on which province. Manitoba calls the holiday Louis Riel Day. In Nova Scotia it is Nova Scotia Heritage Day, while on Prince Edward Island it is Islander Day. Quebec and the three territories don’t have an official observance, though the day might be referred to as “Heritage Day,” with some local observances.
Family Day is a relatively new holiday in Canada. It was first made official in 1990 in Alberta. Saskatchewan joined them in 2007. British Columbia didn’t make it official until 2013, after failing in attempts to pass the holiday legislation in 1994 and several times between 2007 and 2011. Other provinces adopted the legislation on other schedules.
The general confusion of a mid-February holiday seems to not be limited by which country or which president.
Despite the confusion, today is a school holiday for our grandchildren. I think I’ll ask them if they know what day Abraham Lincoln was born just to see if they know. Today is also an official holiday at the church office where we work. However, since we are part time and do not generally work on Mondays, except for a meeting here and there, the holiday doesn’t have an impact on our work lives. And I will attend one meeting this evening, but it is a fun one and really doesn’t count as work in my mind. When you have a job that is as fun as mine, it is sometimes hard to tell when you are working and when you aren’t. Yesterday, I arrived early for our congregation’s worship service, attended a workshop after worship, and remained in the building to worship with the United Methodist Congregation that also uses our building. I probably would have done the same if I didn’t work at the church. I ring in the bell choir which performed at both services.
Throughout my career, we didn’t observe the various federal holidays as vacation days in the church office. The number of holidays that close the church office here is a new phenomenon for me. I have, however, usually observed Monday as my day off, so staying home and doing family things on Mondays isn’t a foreign concept for me. At this church we also get a number of personal days or wellness days and I haven’t learned about them since this is an interim position. I’m pretty sure that I could declare tomorrow to be Mardi Gras and a holiday, stay home from work, and no one would complain or think it to be strange. However, doing so would make today and Wednesday more work as there are lots of Ash Wednesday responsibilities for me.
At any rate, I want to wish you a happy whatever holiday it is for you. Enjoy the day!
Then, in 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved the federal observance of Washington’s Birthday to the third Monday of February. In most states, the day is observed as Presidents’ Day. After the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, it seemed like more places and more institutions began to observe the holiday. Somewhere along the line, by the time our children were in elementary school it was a school holiday, although I’m fairly certain that they didn’t notice the change when we moved from Idaho where it is officially President’s Day to South Dakota where the holiday is officially Presidents’ Day. Note the placement of the apostrophe to see the distinction. Ten states and Puerto Rico observe the holiday with the apostrophe after the s. Eight States observe the holiday with the apostrophe before the s. Nevada and Oregon omit the apostrophe. Ten states call the holiday “Washington’s Birthday.” Maine officially calls the day “Washington’s Birthday/President’s Day.” Arizona’s name for the holiday is “Lincoln/Washington Presidents’ Day.” In my home state of Montana the holiday is “Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday,” while in Minnesota it is “Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday.” Colorado and Utah call the holiday “Washington-Lincoln Day.” Utah is nearly the same omitting the dash and insertion get world “and.” Alabama and Arkansas add another person to the celebration. In Alabama it is “George Washington/Tomas Jefferson Birthday” with no apostrophes and Arkansas calls the day “George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Bates Day.” Daisy Bates was a civil rights activist who place a leading role in the Little Rock Integration Crisis. Delaware does not have an official holiday celebrating Washington or presidents in general. State officials will be working as usual today there.
It would take too much space to list all the differences in the states when it comes to the timing of the observances. In Massachusetts, for example, “Washington’s Birthday” is a holiday falling on the same day as the federal holiday, but the governor is also bound by law to issue an annual “Presidents Day” proclamation on May 29, which is John F. Kennedy’s Birthday. Four states observe Lincoln’s birthday on February 12. In New Mexico, state employees get two holidays: the federal observance on the third Monday in February and “President’s Day” on the Friday following Thanksgiving. In Indiana, Washington’s Birthday is observed on Christmas Eve, or the day preceding the weekend if Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday. Indiana also celebrates Lincoln’s Birthday on the day after Thanksgiving.
So there is no school here today in observance of Presidents’ Day. Our neighbors to the north in British Columbia also have an official holiday today. Up there the day is called “Family Day.” Two thirds of Canadians live in a province that observed a February statuary holiday, but it isn’t an official federal observance. Post offices remain open across Canada and workers don’t have a paid holiday. Canada also has differences on the name of the holiday, depending on which province. Manitoba calls the holiday Louis Riel Day. In Nova Scotia it is Nova Scotia Heritage Day, while on Prince Edward Island it is Islander Day. Quebec and the three territories don’t have an official observance, though the day might be referred to as “Heritage Day,” with some local observances.
Family Day is a relatively new holiday in Canada. It was first made official in 1990 in Alberta. Saskatchewan joined them in 2007. British Columbia didn’t make it official until 2013, after failing in attempts to pass the holiday legislation in 1994 and several times between 2007 and 2011. Other provinces adopted the legislation on other schedules.
The general confusion of a mid-February holiday seems to not be limited by which country or which president.
Despite the confusion, today is a school holiday for our grandchildren. I think I’ll ask them if they know what day Abraham Lincoln was born just to see if they know. Today is also an official holiday at the church office where we work. However, since we are part time and do not generally work on Mondays, except for a meeting here and there, the holiday doesn’t have an impact on our work lives. And I will attend one meeting this evening, but it is a fun one and really doesn’t count as work in my mind. When you have a job that is as fun as mine, it is sometimes hard to tell when you are working and when you aren’t. Yesterday, I arrived early for our congregation’s worship service, attended a workshop after worship, and remained in the building to worship with the United Methodist Congregation that also uses our building. I probably would have done the same if I didn’t work at the church. I ring in the bell choir which performed at both services.
Throughout my career, we didn’t observe the various federal holidays as vacation days in the church office. The number of holidays that close the church office here is a new phenomenon for me. I have, however, usually observed Monday as my day off, so staying home and doing family things on Mondays isn’t a foreign concept for me. At this church we also get a number of personal days or wellness days and I haven’t learned about them since this is an interim position. I’m pretty sure that I could declare tomorrow to be Mardi Gras and a holiday, stay home from work, and no one would complain or think it to be strange. However, doing so would make today and Wednesday more work as there are lots of Ash Wednesday responsibilities for me.
At any rate, I want to wish you a happy whatever holiday it is for you. Enjoy the day!
