Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

Abraham Lincoln was born on this day in 1809. While his birthday isn't a federal holiday (George Washington is the only president with that honor), it is a holiday for state government and some local school districts.

Of course, the federal government isn't letting the day go by completely unobserved. There will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial and a special celebration at the Library of Congress sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, a fifteen-member group created by Congress to commemorate the former president's birthday in 2009. The celebration will include a "Lincoln-themed" lunch and a special appearance "by Abraham Lincoln*".

The lunch sounds rather suspicious. "Lincoln-themed" - what does that mean? Will people be eating what Lincoln normally ate for lunch? Or will they be simply having dishes with corny names like "Second Inaugural Spinach Salad", "Lincoln Linked Sausages", and "Honest Abe Apple Pie"?

And why is there an asterisk after Lincoln's name? Are organizers afraid people will believe the Lincoln appearing at the event is the real Lincoln?

• The White House's Biography of Abraham Lincoln
• Abraham Lincoln Online
• The Lincoln Museum
• Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
• A. Lincoln Blog