Presidents Day is a federal holiday which, in the United States, is observed on the third Monday in February.
This day is set aside, by more and more of America’s population, to honor all of the past United States Presidents that have served our country.
Two of our nation’s most prominent Presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, are brought to mind as we celebrate this day. Their birth dates, which fall close to this same time, have been honored for decades and always will be.
Presidents Day is celebrated with public ceremonies in Washington, D.C. and throughout the United States.
The origin of Presidents Day lay in the 1880s when the birthday of George Washington was celebrated as a federal holiday. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved several federal holidays to Mondays.
During the debate on the bill, it was proposed to have George Washington’s birthday be renamed Presidents Day to honor the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Washington’s birthday is February 22nd and Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th.
Although Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated in many states, it was never an official federal holiday. Following much discussion, Congress rejected the name change. However, after the bill went into effect in 1971, Presidents Day became the commonly accepted name.
