February 19, 2018

HAPPY WASHINGTONS BIRTHDAY!


Today is the federal holiday of Washington's Birthday, which is commonly referred to as President's Day.

Wikipedia, last modified February 19, 2018:
Washington's Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States, who was born on February 22, 1732. Since the Uniform Federal Holidays Act of 1971, its observance can occur between February 15 and 21 inclusive.

Colloquially, the day is also now widely known as Presidents' Day and is often an occasion to honor all who have served as president, not just George Washington.
Why can we not just honor George Washington? Why do we have to dilute his holiday to include all presidents and the office of the presidency?
The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in Washington (20 Stat. 277) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23 Stat. 516)...

The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the "President's Day National Committee" was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California, who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor the office of the presidency... 
[...]

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents' Day" began its public appearance.
I do not agree with this dilution of George Washington's Birthday into President's Day. The whole concept is complete and utter bollocks.

George Washington was the Commander-in-Chief who won the American Revolutionary War. He presided over the Constitutional Convention that gave us our Constitution. He was the first president of our country, without whom none of this would have worked.

Most importantly, he turned over power after his term was finished and set a precedent for our republic. I'm sorry, but George Washington deserves this honor above all other presidents.

"George Washington," by Rembrandt Peale, circa 1850.

More should be done to recognize this holiday as Washington's Birthday. According to Wikipedialast modified February 19, 2018, observations for this holiday include:
Community, historical celebrations; honoring the veterans and purple heart recipients; Congressional recognition.
I think more innovation could be done to create traditions to celebrate this holiday, but these are good for starters.

As Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee said, George Washington was "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." George Washington is the archetypal patron saint of the 🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸 and Washington's Birthday 💜 should be celebrated like St. Patrick's Day ☘️.

So, on this Washington's Birthday, we should get together with friends and family and have a drink for the Father of Our Country, or buy one for a Purple Heart recipient, or a veteran. In fact, the purple heart 💜 should become the shamrock ☘️ of Washington's Birthday. Nothing fancy, just a plain purple heart.

After all, George Washington created the Purple Heart, formerly called the Badge of Military Merit, last modified on August 6, 2017, by an order, which stated:
The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding. Not only instances of unusual gallantry, but also of extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way shall meet with a due reward.[4]
This needs to be memed into reality! 

Washington's Birthday sign, circa 1890–1899.