Presidents Day (?)

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Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:04 pm

Are our friends on the West side of the pond celebrating "the office of President"? (President's Day), or all of them? (Presidents' Day)

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 3551

We celebrate Washington and Lincoln today, as they were considered the greatest leaders. Smile

ETA: Here is a little background. http://www.patriotism.org/presidents_day/

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:09 pm

I didn't know America had a President's Day....

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:19 pm

So ....if the celebrations are for more than one President surely it should be spelt "Presidents' Day".

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 5:41 pm

I'm celebrating Barristers' Day over here Wink

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:40 pm

It is a holiday in the sense that the banks are closed and the postal service isn't delivering mail. Government offices and agencies are closed as well.

Where I work, we don't have it off. We have Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day off, as well as Thanksgiving and "Black Friday". We also shut down for the Chirstmas holidaze; time off with pay that isn't charged against our vacation/PTO balances.

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:14 pm

Trust me, one day, it will just be "President Day".

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:14 pm

spot wrote:

spelt

You whacky Brits and your spelling..........

Over here it's "spelled".

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:20 pm

I am weighting for A Skyhook to way in on this discustion. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:50 pm

Harry Bawls wrote:

spot wrote:

spelt

You whacky Brits and your spelling..........

Over here it's "spelled".

Yeah, "spelt" over here is some kind of grain that people who are gluten-intolerant make bread out of.

My roommate has today off, the first time in her four years with her current employer. I suppose the company decided it was cheaper to pay for a holiday than to pay the utilities to actually run the plant.

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:46 pm

I think it is to celebrate the birth of more than one president. Therefore it is Presidents (more than one, i.e., plural) not a day that is owned by any president or presidents (which would be posessive). Very Happy

pres·i·dent [prézzid’nt]
(plural pres·i·dents)
n

[14th century. Via French président from, ultimately, Latin praesidere (see preside).]

Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

edited for pedanticness Embarassed

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:42 pm

Who is america.gov ?? .... is this a reputable site ???

Quote:

In 1971, Congress fixed Washington's Birthday and a number of other holidays on Mondays, to create long holiday weekends. Because a number of states (but not the federal government) also officially celebrate the February 12 birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, many Americans have come to believe -- incorrectly -- that the third Monday of February is a consolidated "Presidents' Day" honoring both Washington and Lincoln, and indeed all U.S. presidents. Many states designate the holiday as Presidents’ Day, and merchants offer Presidents' Day sales.

http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2008/February/20080214182328liameruoy0.3151819.html

Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:10 am

If this is branching into the unacceptable I apologize in advance to the mods,But this is another great example of the loss of the meaning of a holiday,in the persuit of a 3 day weekend.I really think the politicians would change Christmas and Easter if they could get away with it.I'm old enough to remember the dates of Lincoln an Washingtons birthdays,As well as the date of Armistice day,that has somehow morphed into Veterans Day on a Monday,all the better for sales when people have off.
Cheapening our history in persuit of a 3 day weekend,and the corresponding sales.Sorry,a long time ago in a galaxy far far away,I was a history major,and this crap has always made my blood boil Evil or Very Mad