Honesty Day
Encyclopedia
School Lessons
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Honesty Day is frequently viewed as an observation celebrating the honesty of past presidents like George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. An enduring legend about Washington confessing to have chopped down a cherry tree goes along with this lesson.
Italy celebrates the Honesty Day too. It’s a campaign against any kind of manipulation for commercial purposes and against empty promises coming from the business world. In Italy, it’s traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday before Christmas Day.
Government Awareness
Honesty Day is also considered a day to increase awareness about the honesty, or lack thereof, of current government officials.Personal Honesty
On honesty day, people are encouraged to be more honest, and accepting of honestyHonesty
Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or theft....
. This may include telling friends, coworkers, family members and acquaintances about things that would have been left unsaid on other days. Information or opinions held back for the sake of politeness may be revealed on Honesty Day.