Is there a separation of Church and State when choosing National Holidays?
The Establishment Clause, as understood and intended by the Framers – as is evident in ALL their writings on the subject and 160 years of Jurisprudence afterwards – was intended to prevent the Congress from creating a National Church such as they had in England (the Anglican Church), NOT to ban “religion” (as the term is used today) from government, politcs, or the public square. The Constitution itself recognizes and establishes Sunday as the Government’s Sabbath day. So, once one understands what the Framers meant by “the Establishment of Religion” and what Jefferson meant by “Church” and “State”(mentioned only in private letter to Madison), the answer to your question is: YES there is a separation of Church and State when choosing National Holidays. The holidays are the generic Christian holidays of Christmas and all Sundays (jncluding Easter) and the civic/national holidays, which include Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and Veterans day (originally Armistice Day) which were all origina
