14 Fascinating Presidents' Day Facts You'll Be Surprised to Learn
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
If you think the third Monday in February is just about appliance sales, you might want to read on for the full 411 on Presidents' Day history! Along with Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Veterans Day, this patriotic holiday is a great time to celebrate all things red, white, and blue. And we can't think of a better way to acknowledge its importance than by learning the ins and outs of who it celebrates, when it was established, and what it means for Americans. Perhaps no other day of commemoration in this country has quite the tangled traditions of Presidents' Day...which isn't even its official name. Yep, you heard us right.
That's at least according to the federal government, who still call it Washington's Birthday, though the holiday no longer falls on that date. It also doesn't coincide with Abraham Lincoln's February 12 birthday, and was never even officially tied to Honest Abe, no matter how many people think it celebrates him. Confused yet? Hey, we get it. Even if you paid attention in civics class, who can remember the itty bitty details of every American holiday, or even every February holiday, for that matter? Luckily, we've got the CliffsNotes version straight ahead, so you can get in the know and then get right to shopping the best Presidents' Day sales!
1) The origins of Presidents' Day's go way, way back.
Although George Washington wasn't big on celebrating his birthday (he usually spent the day working), a grateful nation informally observed the occasion both while he was alive and following his death in 1799. Americans took time personally to remember the Father of His Country every February 22 and especially toasted the centennial of his birth in 1832, as well as the Washington Monument's groundbreaking in 1848.
2) But we didn't make it official until 1879.
Eventually, lawmakers in D.C. got the idea to make Washington's birthday a holiday, the first time in United States history an individual was honored in this way. (It wasn't until the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 1983 that another American was celebrated with a federal holiday.) Senator Stephen Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas introduced the measure, and President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law on January 31, 1879.
3) At the time, the Washington's Birthday holiday was a rare treat.
The holiday honoring the nation's first president originally only applied to the District of Columbia. But in 1885, it grew to include the entire nation, joining just four other bank holidays that the federal government recognized each year: Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day.
4) But nowadays, Washington's Birthday is one of 11 federal holidays.
Since that time, in addition to MLK Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day have been added to the roster of federally recognized holidays. Federal workers, as well as bank, school, and postal employees—and many other Americans—typically have the day off from work on these holidays. In addition, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are closed for trading.
5) The U.S. Senate also honors Washington on his birthday.
According to the folks at Mount Vernon, the historic estate where the Commander of the Continental Army lived and died, every February 22 a member of the U.S. Senate takes to the floor to read Washington's Farewell Address to their assembled colleagues. It's a tradition that dates back to 1896 and, reminds us, the Mount Vernon website notes, "of a man whose patriotic spirit still inspires us to this day, particularly federal workers who uphold what he helped create."
6) By the 1960s, it was time for a change.
Washington's Birthday continued unchanged for almost a century, until Congress, led by Representative Robert McClory of Illinois, proposed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The idea was to move several holidays to various Mondays throughout the year, giving workers a few three-day weekends off. It was thought the shift would cut down on employees calling in sick and also give retail sales a shot in the arm.
7) Not everyone was on board.
While there was widespread support for the initiative from labor unions and the private sector, some lawmakers and members of the general public protested that moving holidays from their original dates would lessen their importance and impact. In particular, it was argued that the meaning of Washington's Birthday would lost if it wasn't celebrated on the day he was actually born. But the idea of adding more three-day weekends was popular enough that the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed Congress in 1968.
8) Washington's Birthday wasn't the only holiday affected by the new law.
In 1971, following an executive order by President Nixon, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect. Washington's Birthday was moved from February 22 to the third Monday of the month. Memorial Day was shifted to the last Monday in May from the last day of May. The measure also created Columbus Day, with the second Monday in October set aside to memorialize the landing of the explorer in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Some U.S. cities and states now celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, which honors Native Americans, on Columbus Day. It is not yet a federal holiday, although President Biden officially recognized it in 2021.
9) Veterans Day moved, too—but not for long.
Veterans Day, which began as Armistice Day in 1919 and commemorated the end of World War I, was also uprooted by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Officially renamed in 1954 to thank all veterans for their service, Veterans Day was transplanted to the fourth Monday in October by the new law. But by 1979, veterans' organizations and state governments had successfully rallied to force the return of the holiday to its original date.
10) The name Washington's Birthday stayed the same.
Representative McClory—who hailed from the Land of Lincoln—at one point suggested legally changing the name of the Washington's Birthday holiday to President's Day as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The aim was to equitably honor President Lincoln, who was born on February 12, but outraged legislators from Washington's home state of Virginia nipped that idea in the bud. So while some states, such as California, Illinois, and New York officially recognize the birthday of the man who ended slavery in this country, it is not a federal holiday.
11) So....why is it called Presidents' Day?
That's thanks largely to retailers, who, sensing a savvy promotional strategy, began calling their February promotions that took place over the three-day weekend "President's Day Sales." The general public, no doubt confused about why Washington's Birthday was no longer commemorated on February 22, figured the holiday had been relocated as a way of honoring both Washington and Lincoln. By the turn of the new decade, the holiday had become known to just about everyone as Presidents' Day.
12) To the federal government, it's still Washington's Birthday.
While the nation's government still calls the holiday "Washington's Birthday," some states celebrate "Presidents Day," including Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota. In Alaska, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington, the third Monday in February is known as "Presidents’ Day." Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia, and Wyoming call it “President’s Day.”
13) There's no real consensus on how to punctuate Presidents' Day.
Technically, all three ways of punctuating Presidents' Day are correct. "Presidents' Day" implies celebrating more than one president, while "President's Day," which suggests honoring a single head of state, is less common but also valid. The AP Stylebook, which is mostly used by journalists, prefers placing no apostrophe at all in the name.
14) There's also no agreement about who we recognize on the holiday.
Some places get a little salty about saluting anybody but good ol' George on the third Monday in February. Others also acknowledge everyone from Thomas Jefferson on the holiday (Alabama), to civil rights activist Daisy Gatson Bates (Arkansas). But while many locations and organizations honor Washington and Lincoln together, some see the holiday as a time to thank all the country's chief executives. Other folks view honoring all presidents, no matter how terrible their leadership, as an insult to Washington's legacy. Ultimately, who you celebrate on Presidents' Day is up to you, but we think it's a great idea to pause as you shop for that new fridge and think of at least one of the greats!
You Might Also Like
