Here at the Beef Jerky Outlet, February has been a big, big month. We introduced the fabulous Beef Box Bouquet gift for Valentine’s Day to great fanfare on the web and tons of social media action. Many Beef Jerky Outlet stores are jumping on the President’s Day band wagon with sales over the coming weekend.

Jerky Lovers should check with their local store for available specials. Even though February has been great for the Beef Jerky Outlet, most of us can’t wait to get on to March.

If it weren’t for Valentine’s Day, no one would even know it was February. The shortest month of the year is the calendar’s version of comedian Rodney “I get no respect” Dangerfield. Those of us who don’t cross- country sky or snowmobile would just as soon go directly from January into March.

February also features the mysterious “leap year,” with an extra day every fourth year. If you only have 28 days to start with, what is the point of upgrading to 29, when all the other months have 30 or 31? At least you can blame the earth’s imprecise orbit for that; we gain about 24 hours every four years, or an extra day. And who’s stuck with it? February, of course.

February does have its good points. For one thing, two of our greatest presidents were born in the month of February. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 and Abraham Lincoln on February 12, 1809. George Washington’s birthday is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February. This year it falls on February 19.

In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved certain federal holidays to the closest Monday, thereby creating three-day weekends for government workers. The Father of Our Country must be thinking “I get no respect. I gave them a country, and they can’t even celebrate my birthday on the proper date.”

George is doing better than Abe. There is no federal holiday for the Man Who Saved the Union and Freed the Slaves. Contrary to popular belief, “President’s Day” is not a federal holiday, and it does not conflate the celebration of Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays into a single observance.

Several states have recognized President’s Day as a legal holiday, but the federal holiday remains Washington’s birthday. Proponents of President’s Day suggest that we honor all presidents, in addition to Washington and Lincoln. I guess that all depends on the meaning of what “honor” is.

President’s Day has become a popular patriotic themed holiday promotion. Make the best of February and drop by your local Beef Jerky Outlet. Stock up on some of the tastiest jerky and snacks in the USA and honor two of our greatest presidents in the bargain.