Feb. 21 is Presidents’ Day, the federal holiday honoring our first president. Many people have work and school off to observe this day. We DePaul students do not. On behalf of myself and Garfield (who hates Mondays more than anything), I am sorry you have to wake up and go to classes today.Presidents’ Day, first passed by Congress in 1879, was the first holiday to honor an American citizen. Though George Washington was born on Feb. 22, Congress decided in 1971 to commemorate the holiday on the third Monday of February. By the end of the 1980s, some states were honoring all the presidents on this holiday.

Several states, including Illinois, observe Lincoln’s Birthday on Feb. 12, Lincoln’s actual birthday, as opposed to a celebrating a “Uniform Monday Holiday.” The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed by Congress in 1968 to grant more three-day weekends for government employees. This explains why students from public schools and postal carriers get to take it easy today. Japan also uses a similar holiday system, which goes by the more cheerful name of “Happy Monday System.”

Many stores and advertisers have commercialized Presidents’ Day. You can find many “Big Presidents’ Day Sale at [insert business]! Friday through Monday!” ads on TV, radio, online, and on giant banners inside numerous stores nationwide.

Over the past decade or so, Presidents’ Day (along with other “Uniform Monday Holidays,” such as Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday and Memorial Day), has been viewed more as an opportunity to promote business and commerce. Many universities, including DePaul, are still open with classes proceeding as usual. Most businesses remain open. Years ago, banks were closed during the Uniform Monday Holidays. But, when I walked past the Chase and PNC Bank branches on Armitage the other day, I noticed they have signs that stated they would be open on Presidents’ Day.

As a transfer student from community college, this is the first time I will be attending classes on Presidents’ Day. It seemed strange at first to resume with school during the “Uniform Monday Holidays.” It is also business as usual for Lincoln’s Birthday and Veterans’ Day. At first it seemed that I was being cheated out of a three-day weekend. Then I realized that I don’t have classes on Fridays and I have recently received a few days off due to the Snowpocalypse. And spring break is just three weeks away…