Why honor the Presidency?

Monday was Presidents' Day (and Lincoln's birthday was on the 12th and Washington's is on the 23rd).  I agree with most of what a sociology professor (?) said on NPR Monday afternoon, about the anti-democratic nature of honoring the office of the president, elevating the office above the American people who are supposed to be the basis of American government, and the issue of honoring all preisidents, as if some did not turn out to be very bad choices.  We are told to honor the usurper and not very successful imperialist George W Bush on the same day as we honor George Washington, who, despite his faults, led the successful war for independence and served as the first president.  Perhaps there is value in having a day that calls our attention to presidential history, but why make it a holiday?  There are not days honoring Congress, the Supreme Court (not that I think we should honor the Court as a whole after some of its decisions of the past 8 years), the States, or voters.  Elections aren't even holidays, so voters are not encouraged to do their supposed civic duty.  There are days for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but they do not get a lot of attention.  Government and its officers should not be allowed to be excessively above the people.