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When
I was growing up, we didn’t have designated Monday holidays. My research shows
that the Uniform Monday Holiday Act did not take effect until Jan. 1, 1971,
which was about the time I was finishing college. Anyone born after the mid-1960s doesn’t remember when we didn’t celebrate most every holiday by means of
a 3-day weekend. This recollection slips a little more from collective memory with
each passing year.
Yesterday
was Presidents’ Day, a Monday holiday giving some workers a three-day weekend,
but when I was in elementary school, we celebrated Lincoln’s birthday on Feb.
12 and Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22. I remember considerable focus on both
Lincoln and Washington in February. Discussion and art projects were based on
the lives of these famous presidents. Bulletin boards were decorated with Lincoln
/ Washington symbols, such as a "stovepipe" hat for Lincoln and cherry trees
(hatchets?) for Washington. We did not have those days off but rather focused
on the historical meaning of the day at school as our shared
heritage. [Actually, the history of Presidents Day as a three-day holiday is more
complex than I care to discuss here, but you can read about it at this link.]
I
can’t say how it is in the schools today, but I rather think it’s different
now, and who am I to say whether that’s good or bad. Now we know that “Washington
chopping down the cherry tree” was likely a myth, and so we don’t know whether
he told lies or not, but somehow I love that old familiar tale. And I rather think that Martin Luther King Day overshadows
Lincoln’s birthday -- Lincoln, who would walk miles to right a wrong.
Over the weekend, I tried in vain to find television
programming on a president – any president. I did learn that for whatever
reason, there is no movie based on George Washington. Well, be that as it may, we
do have presidential documentaries, and I couldn’t even find those. (Yes, I
know, I can watch practically anything anytime on my computer screen. I just
didn’t want to do it that way.)
As
retired people, we barely notice a Monday holiday in our world. Mike tried to
call Regence yesterday and was taken aback to receive a “we’re closed today”
message. I explained that it was Presidents Day, a legal holiday, and he was
incredulous that some businesses were closed, and even more, that we wouldn’t
get mail. (Getting our junk mail out of the box is always a highlight of our day.) Later in the
afternoon, as Mike was mounting his motorcycle to visit the library, it suddenly occurred to him that he should check to be sure they were open. That was good
– because all regional libraries were closed. I suggested he ride someplace else, but he
said it was too cold to ride for fun. He backed his motorcycle into the garage
and removed his helmet. KW
4 comments:
I remember making Lincoln's hat and construction paper hatchets. Between Valentine's Day and Lincoln and Washington's birthdays, we were busy little artists! Oh, and log cabins! I remember being in charge of decorating the long bulletin board over the chalk board in one grade and making log cabins with snow on the roofs to line it.
Great memories. There was a big bulletin board near the door, too, and one at the top of the hall. Seems like the teachers rotated decorating that one, taking care to see that it was special.
It seems like companies either observe MLK Jr. Day in January OR Presidents' Day in February, but rarely both. And as a worker, we now go into the dry spell where we don't get a three day weekend until the end of May. I intend to take a three day weekend each month on my own. It really does give quite a nice mental boost to have that extra day of relaxation.
Yes, as an employee of the state, I remember that the bulk of the holidays fall between Labor Day and Presidents Day. We didn't look forward to the dry spell until Memorial Day. It's really rather odd that we don't find some excuse to have at least one more federal holiday during the warm months of summer.
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