Hey Guys,
So President’s Day is today. I thought it’d be a good idea to educate everyone on the history of the holiday! No matter your political views I hope you can appreciate the history of this day!
The history of President’s Day got its beginnings as a celebration of George Washington’s birthday. It started in 1800 after President Washington passed away on December 14th, 1799. His birthday was February 22nd and Americans wanted to celebrate his life and his contributions to the American Revolution. Washington’s birthday was unofficially celebrated for many years until the date became an official holiday on February 22nd, 1879 by President Rutherford B. Hayes.
The holiday was first only celebrated in the District of Columbia and then later on in the whole country. The shift from celebrating the holiday on Washington’s birthday to the date that we celebrate the holiday today was due to a 1960s measure to move several holidays to Mondays to give workers more three day weekends. The act was called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Another reason the date was moved was due to Lincoln’s birthday, February 12th, being close to Washington’s. Many in Congress thought that both iconic presidents should be celebrated on the same day. Also, many states like Illinois were already celebrating Lincoln’s birthday. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon after it was passed by congress in 1968 and was officially adopted in 1971.
So, why do we celebrate Presidents Day today? We celebrate Presidents Day as a day of remembrance of the leaders we, as Americans have had in the past. The main focus of the holiday is mostly still presidents Washington and Lincoln, who have done a great deal in the history of America. I hope that many of you will use this day as a day of reflection and remembrance of those who have come before us and the history of our country. If you are not from the United States then I would hope that you would take the time today to reflect on the leaders of your country. For many of you, it may be a good opportunity to learn more about the history of our country.
Hope all of you have a wonderful week!
As Always, Be Strong and Courageous
References:
Article Title:
Presidents’ Day 2021
Author:
History.com Editors
URL:
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/presidents-day
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
July 7, 2020
Original Published Date
October 26, 2010
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-washington
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