Etiquetteer would like to offer a simple toast to the Father of Our Country, George Washington, on his birthday, February 22.
Once upon a time the nation went nutty with parties on February 22. Dame Curtsey’s Book of Novel Entertainments for Every Day of the Year included many ideas for afternoon and dinner parties, most involving crepe paper novelties, hatchet-shaped cookies, and paper flags. Etiquetteer really prefers just something simple in a glass with one cherry, thank you. Although in 2020 it’s also National Margarita Day (!), so you might try a nice cherry margarita. Better than cough syrup, Etiquetteer supposes, but couldn’t possibly beat the streamlined simplicity of a Perfectly Proper manhattan.
The 110th (and last) rule in George’s Rules of Civility runs “ Labour to keep alive in your breast that little celestial fire called conscience.” Especially in these troubled times, there could be no more Perfectly Proper toast for President Washington.