Monday! Today is Presidents' Day, which means you're most likely reading this from the comfort of your own home after waking up at three in the afternoon. Unless, of course, your boss hates America, in which case, you're even more annoyed than usual to be in the office. The holiday, a commemoration of George Washington's birthday, was first celebrated in 1796, the last full year of his presidency. According to the calendar being used at the time, Prez Numero Uno (as he was popularly known) was born on February 22. However, according to an earlier calendar that dates back to Washington's birthyear of 1732, the big man was born on February 11. Even when the holiday was officially declared, Americans remained split on which day they chose to celebrate as Washington's birthday. The good news for Washington? Twice as many presents. The bad news? All the presents were wooden teeth or wooden-teeth-related gag gifts. ("Ho, ho! Do I espy a humorous pamphlet recounting two score and five ways wooden teeth be better than a woman? 'Tis a droll gift, indeed! |