Does George Washington Sell More Than Souvenirs?

Americans will have an extra day this Monday to celebrate “Presidents Day,” the holiday in honor of the presidents, as its name suggests. Originally called “Washington’s Birthday” — after the first president, born on Feb. 22, 1732 — it has been celebrated on the third Monday in February since 1971, between the birthdays of Washington and his fifteenth successor, Lincoln, born on Feb. 12.

This annual celebration, however, does not exactly bring the country together the way that it was supposed to. Rather, each state defines this holiday according to its wishes by imbuing it with its own meaning. In Alabama, it is “Washington and Jefferson Day,” even though the latter was born in April. In Virginia, the birth state of the first president, the name “George Washington Day” has held.

And because relaxing is never too far from business in the U.S., Presidents Day is an opportunity for shopaholics to benefit from exceptional mark-downs in shops. Contrary to French custom, public holidays are not synonymous with closed shops on this side of the Atlantic. Car dealers in particular are known to offer slashed prices each year on the third Monday in February. This is quite timely this year since the President is relying a lot on the automobile industry to support the rebound of the economy. A few weeks ago, at the Super Bowl halftime show, the Chrysler ad, “It’s halftime in America!” was criticized for being too “pro-Obama.” George Washington will be a less controversial figure to give a small boost to a key sector of the American economy.