ThisMonday,thenationwillstarttocelebratePresidents’Day,justsevendaysbeforeGeorgeWashington’sbirthday.Everyoneagreesthatdayisaholiday,butisitjusttocelebrateGeorgeWashington’sBirthday?WhataboutAbrahamLincoln?SomegovernmentofficescallitPresidents’Day.OtherssaytheholidayisofficiallyWashington’sBirthday.Confusedyet?
GeorgeWashingtonwaselectedthecountry’sfirstPresidentonApril30,1789.Soonafter,Americansbeganpubliclycelebratinghisbirthday.PresidentialhistorianssaytheactualdateofGeorgeWashington’sbirthisFebruary11,1732.Butachangeinthecalendarsystem20yearslatershiftedalldates,makingWashington’sbirthdayFebruary22,whichisnowwellaccepted.In1879.CongressmadeWashington’sbirthdayanofficialfederalholiday.Itwasthefirstfederalholidaytocelebrateanindividual’sbirthday.In1968,CongresspassedtheMondayHolidaysAct,whichmovedtheholidaytothethirdMondayinFebruary.Thenewlawdidnotchangetheholiday’sname.ItwasstillcalledWashington’sBirthday,eventhoughsomelawmakerswantedtocallitPresidents’DaytoincludeAbrahamLincoln,whoseactualbirthdayisFebruary12.
ManypeoplearguethattheholidayshouldcelebrateallpastPresidents.TheyfeelLincolnshouldbehonoredforhisroleinpreservingthenationduringtheCivilWarandhelpingtofreeslaves.OthersfeeltheholidayshouldonlyhonorWashington.thecountry’sfirstPresident.TheysayshiftingthefocusawayfromWashingtonwouldmeanfuturegenerationsofkidswouldnotknowabouttheFatherofOurCountry.
LawshavebeenintroducedinCongressovertheyearstorequireuseoftheterm“GeorgeWashington’sBirthday.”butnoneofthoselawshavebeenpassed.Meanwhile,manystategovernmentsandschooldistrictsnowusetheterm“Presidents’Day.”Manystoreuseittopromoteholidaysales.
ShouldtheholidayhonorWashington,WashingtonandLincoln,orallpastPresidents?Writetoemailbag@timeforkids.comandtelluswhatyouthink.
28.ThePresident’sDaywasoriginallydesignedtohonor______.
A.GeorgeWashington B.AbrahamLincoln
C.allpresidents D.theCivilWar
29.Whatcanweinferfromthepassa