Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes

Post #36

Despite the many missed school days due to the “Snowpocalypse”, today every public school in Maryland is closed in honor of Presidents’ Day.  It may surprise you to learn that until recently, this was not required by state law.

On this day, we honor two of our country’s most revered Presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  We often think of Presidents’ Day as a much-needed three-day weekend in the midst of winter; we travel or shop for bargains at the mall.  But the history of our federal holiday dates back to 1880, when Congress voted to close all federal offices in DC in honor of George Washington.

Since 1862, there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington's Farewell Address is read each year.  In the Maryland State Senate, it is the one time that the body convenes in the old Senate Chamber, where George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief in 1783.

Martin Luther King, Jr., another great leader whose legacy affects our lives and whose birth we celebrated last month, was assassinated in 1968.  It was not until 2000 that all 50 states honored him with a holiday.  (See my blog article, #30, posted on the anniversary of his birth.)

It took some doing, but both of these holidays are now observed in Maryland (See our state law at § 7-103. “Required school days and holidays.”)  During my tenure in the House of Delegates, there was a difference of opinion as to whether to include both holidays in one bill (the version I introduced) or to enact them separately.  Ultimately, Maryland joined the rest of the country in closing schools on both holidays in observance of these great American leaders.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  How do you think our Presidents should be honored on his holiday?  Do you do anything special in observance of the day?  You may send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#36) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.