On this Presidents’ Day, February 17, we celebrate…mattress sales. That’s not how it’s supposed to work, but that’s the way it is, at least for now.
We shouldn’t blame the mattress-sellers—they’re just trying to make a buck. Instead, blame those in Congress who, a half-century ago, drained away the meaning of the holiday which had been George Washington’s Birthday, turning it into the generic and lame “President’s Day.” Today, it seems to benefit, most of all, non-essential federal workers.
Happily, what’s done can be undone. President Trump, the 47th President, has the power to declare that the birthday of the 1st President, which falls on February 22, should once again be a holiday.
But for now, let’s ask ourselves: Do we really want to celebrate a generic “President’s Day”? By the way, there is not even a consensus about where…
