President George Washington

Today we celebrate George Washington’s birthday but this celebration has, through the years, come to mean all of the Presidents.

In a sense, calling the holiday Presidents’ Day helps us reflect on not just the first president, but also the founding of our nation, the values, and what Washington calls in his Farewell Address, the “beloved Constitution and union, as received from the Founders.” Additionally, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is in February (on the 12th), so by calling the holiday “Presidents’ Day,” we can encompass this great president in our celebrations as well.

So, in fact, it is because of President George Washington that we now have this holiday. George Washington was an incredibly honest man and it has been said that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and then admitted his wrongdoing by saying to his father, “I cannot tell a lie”. Apparently, he never did say that; he didn’t even chop down the tree! Parson Mason Weems (1759–1825), one of Washington’s biographers, made up the story hoping to demonstrate Washington’s honesty. Oh the liberties of writers, both then and now!

This tale is not the only myth about Washington. His wooden dentures? They weren’t made of wood. Instead, they were made of hippopotamus teeth that had been filed down to fit Washington’s mouth! Holy smokes! That is quite something, to say the least!

So, today let us celebrate the ideal of the President’s office – after all, it is a really important ideal in our world!