A HOLIDAY HONORING FORMER PRESIDENTS? THE REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON
A federal holiday, Washington's Birthday, February 22, was established in 1879. The third Monday of February has become known as "Presidents' Day" in recent years. Which is it, then? What is official, and what isn't explained?
In Honor of the Nation's Birthday
As a modest man, George Washington did not like pomp and circumstance. While alive, Washington rarely acknowledged his birthday and "celebrated" it by attending to business at Mount Vernon or responding to letters.
Nevertheless, his birthday was celebrated widely across the country while he was still alive, and this trend has only increased since his passing. While we still celebrate his birthday today, it is now celebrated with a broader scope as "Presidents' Day," a name that didn't even exist until the late 20th century.
It's a long and winding road that led to what the general public in the United States now celebrates as Presidents' Day. Washington's birthday was unofficially observed all over the United States after his death in 1799. The federal government did not officially recognize Washington's birthday as a holiday until the 31st of January, 1879.
There is also a special way in which Washington's birthday is celebrated. On February 22 (his actual birthday), a sitting senator read Washington's Farewell Address in the United States Senate for the first time since 1896. The federal employees who uphold the system he helped establish can take pride in this tradition because it honors a man whose patriotism continues to inspire us today.
Shifting to a Monday
The 22nd of February was the traditional date commemorating Washington's birth until 1968. It was a long-standing custom and a stirring tribute to the man who laid the groundwork for modern America.
The "Uniform Monday Holiday Act" was signed into law on June 28, 1968. The goal of this legislation was to standardize the annual Monday celebration of selected legal public holidays. It was also a goal of the act to increase the number of 3-day weekends for federal workers. The new law reduces the significance of Washington's birthday by moving the holiday to the third Monday of February. Since the law's implementation in 1971, Washington's birthday has not been observed on the date he was born.
Day to Honor Former Presidents Is a Misnomer
Celebrations of both Washington's birthday and Presidents' Day are now typically held on the same day, the third Monday in February. However, the day is not formally known as Presidents' Day.
This Monday holiday was first suggested as "Presidents' Day" by the U.S. go” in 1951, but the name was never officially changed. Ads for seasonal sales in the 1980s helped spread and normalize the term.
The name was chosen so that a holiday could be made to honor the presidency as a whole, not just one president. George Washington, known as the "Father of Our Country," may deserve his day, but this joint celebration would also honor President Lincoln's birthday on February 12.
The Holiday Honoring George Washington
The third Monday in February is officially recognized as "Washington's Birthday" or "George Washington Day" in Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, and New York. In some places, like Virginia, the entire month of February is dedicated to commemorations of Washington's birth. In Laredo, Texas, the whole month of February has been dedicated to commemorating George Washington's birthday since 1898.