Presidents and Pembroke

What is up with furniture stores and President's Day sales? This is a topic that has intrigued me for decades now (seriously, I was a precocious child). This is not a holiday that is widely celebrated. There are no special foods, traditions, color schemes, or public displays. So why do furniture stores make such a tremendous effort to observe this occasion? I guess George Washington had his cherry tree and good ol' Honest Abe had his log cabin, so there is a traditional tie between presidents and wood, but can that really explain it? And if so, then how do you explain the equally odd tradition of Columbus Day sales? Perhaps the only conclusion to be drawn from all of this is that if you buy furniture on a day when mail is delivered and banks are open, you're paying too much.

*For those of you trying to figure out "Pembroke."