Restore the Original Intent of the Holiday of “Washington’s Birthday” to Honor George Washington, Not All the Presidents

As I do every year, I post to urge the replacement of “Presidents’ Day” as an American holiday with “Washington’s Birthday” and to recall the greatness of George Washington as an example to follow.  Sometimes I post on the holiday, like today, and other times on Washington’s February 22 birthday, depending on the circumstances.

This year, it is encouraging that there has been more discussion than usual by historians and others recalling the historic origins of the federal and state holiday that the day was intended to honor Washington, and secondarily Abraham Lincoln at most, not all the other Presidents of the United States.  The federal holiday of “Washington’s Birthday,” which remains its legal name, was intended to honor Washington for all his achievements, including as the General who led the Continental Army during the American Revolution, as a Founding Father, and other contributions to the early Republic, in addition to his great presidency.  Most States in the Union call their holiday “Presidents’ Day” or something similar, without mentioning Washington.  Furthermore, the federal and coincidental state holidays are never celebrated on February 22.

It has thus become the popular custom to refer to the holiday as “Presidents’ Day,” though often lacking the apostrophe or with it placed incorrectly, with a corresponding focus on all of the federal Chief Executives, including those who were scoundrels.  This custom minimizes the greatness of Washington and promotes the cult of the presidency and the elevation of the prestige of the Executive Branch over the two other co-equal Branches of Government and thus the system of checks and balances as part of the constitutional doctrine of the Separation of Powers, something to which the First American President would have objected.  

Washington’s achievements are unparalleled by any other American.  His faith, morality, humility and self-control were essential to his good character and his public reputation and professional success.  On this holiday, it is prudent also to recall particularly Washington’s opposition to bigotry, his openness to those seeking asylum from persecution and his opposition to isolationism, in addition to his fealty to the Constitution and all the principles upon which it is based, such as federalism, the Separation of Powers, the independence of the judiciary and the freedoms of speech and of the press.

With the trend toward States requiring more civics education that I have posted in support of, I hope that more study of George Washington will be included as an example of how to live out American principles of self-government and representative republicanism.