Collective Memory and Abortive Commemoration: Presidents’ Day and the American Holiday Calendar

B a rry S c h w a rtz Collective Memory and Abortive Commemoration: Presidents’ Day and the American Holiday Calendar T ra d itio n is th e liv in g fa ith o f th e d ead, tra d itio n a lis m is th e d e a d fa ith o f th e living. Jaro sla v P elik an , The V in d ica tio n o f T ra d itio n “ N A T U R E , ” A S E R N S T C A S S I R E R C O N C E I V E D I T , “ Y I E L D S N O T H I N G w i t h o u t c e re m o n y ” (1955: 38-9). T h e n a tio n a l h o lid ay is o n e o f c e re m o n y ’s vessels. H olidays a re tim e s s e t asid e b y c u sto m o r law to c o m m e m o ra te g re a t e v e n ts a n d th e ir m e n — o r gods. T h ey re c u r w eekly, as in S ab b ath o b serv an ce , or, in th e case o f n a tio n a l life, an n u a lly , as in th e c e le b ra ­ tio n o f th e F o u rth o f July. In e ith e r case, h o lid a y s a re “se e d b e d s o f v irtu e ” (E tzioni, 2001) th a t o p p o se th e n a tu ra l te n d e n c y to fo rg e t th e past. T h e o p e n in g c h a p te rs o f D e u te ro n o m y p ro v id e th e b e s t ex a m p le s. M oses h as led h is p e o p le to th e P ro m ise d L and, b u t b e fo re th e y go to p o ssess it h e gives th e m a serie s o f w a rn in g s. H e k n o w s th a t h is p eo p le w ill so o n live in a n e w w o rld : cities, h o u se s, v in ey ard s, a n d olive g roves in w h o se m a k in g th e y h a d n o p a rt. T h ese a re a n in h e rita n c e , n o t a n s o c ia l r e s e a r c h V o l 7 5 : N o 1 : S p r in g 2 0 0 8 75 a c q u isitio n : “W h e n y o u e a t y o u r fill th e re , b e ca re fu l n o t to fo rg e t th e L o rd ” w h o gav e th e s e to y o u . A n d w h e n y o u h av e p le n ty to e a t a n d live in fin e h o u se s o f y o u r o w n b u ild in g “do n o t b e c o m e p ro u d a n d fo rg e t th e L ord y o u r G od w h o b ro u g...