Difference between revisions of "Washington's Birthday" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Redirect|Presidents' Day}}
 
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{{Infobox Holiday
 
{{Infobox Holiday
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|caption= ''George Washington'' by [[Gilbert Stuart]] (1797)
 
|caption= ''George Washington'' by [[Gilbert Stuart]] (1797)
 
|official_name= Washington's Birthday
 
|official_name= Washington's Birthday
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|nickname= Presidents Day<br>''<small>or a variant thereof</small>''
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|nickname= '''Presidents Day'''<br>''<small>or a variant thereof</small>''
 
|observedby= [[United States]]
 
|observedby= [[United States]]
 
|week_ordinal= third  
 
|week_ordinal= third  
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|scheduling= nth weekday of the month
 
|scheduling= nth weekday of the month
 
|frequency= Annual
 
|frequency= Annual
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|observances= Community, historical celebrations; honoring the veterans and purple heart recipients; Congressional recognition.
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|observances= Community, historical celebrations; Congressional recognition.
 
|significance=  
 
|significance=  
 
|relatedto= [[Lincoln's Birthday]]
 
|relatedto= [[Lincoln's Birthday]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
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'''Washington's Birthday''' is a United States [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holiday]] celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of [[George Washington]], the first President of the United States, who was born on February 22, 1732.<ref>[[Adoption of the Gregorian calendar|OS]] February 11, 1731</ref> Since the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act|Uniform Federal Holidays Act of 1971]], its observance can occur from February 15 to 21, inclusive.<ref name="2manyCh1efs"/>
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'''Washington's Birthday''' is a United States [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holiday]] celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of [[George Washington]], the first President of the United States, who was born on February 22, 1732 (by the Gregorian calendar). Since the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act|Uniform Federal Holidays Act of 1971]], its observance can occur from February 15 to 21, inclusive.
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{{toc}}
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Colloquially, the day is also now widely known as '''Presidents' Day''' and is often an occasion to honor all who have served as [[List of Presidents of the United States|president]], not just George Washington.<ref name=WaPostFeb14 /><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinnews/presidentsDay.cfm |title= Presidents' Day |work= HIP Pocket Change |publisher= [[United States Mint]] |accessdate= January 21, 2014 |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140202191040/http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinnews/presidentsDay.cfm |archivedate= February 2, 2014 |df= mdy-all }}</ref>
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Colloquially, the day is also now widely known as '''Presidents' Day''' and is often an occasion to honor all who have served as [[List of Presidents of the United States|president]], not just George Washington. In particular, [[Abraham Lincoln]], whose birthday is February 12, is often honored together with Washington. Celebrations involve honoring Washington as the founding president in ways both serious, such as reading his ''Farewell Address'', to the more frivolous, such as eating [[cherry pie]]. The long weekend has become an opportunity for shopping for deals as most businesses remain open, often offering sales and other promotions.
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The day is a [[state holiday]] in most states, with official names including '''Washington's Birthday''', '''Presidents' Day''', '''President's Day''', and '''Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday'''.<ref name=WaPostFeb14>{{cite news |first= Valerie |last= Strauss |title= Why Presidents' Day Is slightly strange |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/16/why-presidents-day-is-slightly-strange/ |accessdate= February 17, 2014 |newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] |date= February 16, 2014 |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140218163220/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/16/why-presidents-day-is-slightly-strange/ |archivedate= February 18, 2014 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> Depending upon the specific law, the state holiday might officially celebrate Washington alone, Washington and [[Abraham Lincoln]] (whose birthday is February 12), or some other combination of U.S. presidents (such as Washington and the third president [[Thomas Jefferson]], who was born in April).<ref name=WaPostFeb14 />
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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===Washington's birthday===
 
[[File:Centennial celebration of Washington's birth day, Philadelphia, February 1832.png|thumb|right|Procession of events for the centennial celebration of Washington's birthday, Philadelphia, February 1832]]
 
[[File:Centennial celebration of Washington's birth day, Philadelphia, February 1832.png|thumb|right|Procession of events for the centennial celebration of Washington's birthday, Philadelphia, February 1832]]
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[[George Washington]] was born on February 11, 1731 ([[Old Style and New Style dates|Old Style]]), at his parents' Pope's Creek Estate near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia. At the time, the entire British Empire, including its North American possessions, was on the [[Julian calendar]]; the Empire, not being bound to the [[Catholic Church]], had not yet adopted the modern [[Gregorian calendar]] that Catholic countries had adopted in 1582. Consequently, by the 1730s, the Julian calendar used by Britain and the Colonies was eleven days behind the Gregorian, due to [[leap year]] differences. Furthermore, the British [[civil year]] began on March 25 rather than January 1, so that dates in February (such as this one) 'belonged' to the preceding year. (See [[Dual dating]]). In 1752, [[Calendar (New Style) Act 1750|The British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar]]; since then, Americans born prior to 1752, including Washington, have typically had their birthdays recognized under what their birthday would have been under the Gregorian calendar ([[Old Style and New Style dates|"New Style" dates]]). Since, during the 1700s, February 11 under the Julian calendar would fall as February 22 on the Gregorian, Washington's birthday has been generally recognized as February 22, 1732.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Engber |first=Daniel |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2134455/ |title=What's Benjamin Franklin's Birthday? |journal=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=January 18, 2006 |accessdate=May 21, 2011 |ref=harv |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728003759/http://www.slate.com/id/2134455/ |archivedate=July 28, 2011  }}</ref>
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[[George Washington]] was born on February 11, 1731 (by the [[Julian calendar]]), at his parents' Pope's Creek Estate near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia. At the time, the entire British Empire, including its North American possessions, was on the Julian calendar; the Empire, not being bound to the [[Catholic Church]], had not yet adopted the modern [[Gregorian calendar]] that Catholic countries adopted in 1582. Consequently, due to [[leap year]] differences, by the 1730s the Julian calendar used by Britain and the Colonies was eleven days behind the Gregorian. Furthermore, the British [[civil year]] began on March 25 rather than January 1, so that dates in February 'belonged' to the preceding year. In 1752, The British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar; since then, Americans born prior to 1752, including Washington, have typically had their birthdays recognized under what their birthday would have been under the Gregorian calendar. Since, during the 1700s, February 11 under the Julian calendar would fall as February 22 on the Gregorian, Washington's birthday has been generally recognized as February 22, 1732.
 
[[File:No Business Transacted poster - 3g12934u.jpg|250px|right|Washington's Birthday sign, {{circa|1890–1899}}]]
 
[[File:No Business Transacted poster - 3g12934u.jpg|250px|right|Washington's Birthday sign, {{circa|1890–1899}}]]
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The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an [[Act of Congress]] in 1879 for government offices in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] ({{USStat|20|277}}) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices ({{USStat|23|516}}). As the first federal holiday to honor an American president, the holiday was celebrated on Washington's birthday under the Gregorian calendar, February 22.<ref>Washington was born on February 11, 1731, based on the Julian calendar then in use in the British Colonies. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in the English Colonies (1752), he opted to begin observing his birthday anniversary on the equivalent date of February 22, 1732.</ref> On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act]].<ref name="unifmonday">{{cite web |url= https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/images/uniform-monday-holiday-law.jpg |title= Uniform Monday Holiday Act |date= January 15, 1968 |publisher= [[National Archives and Records Administration]] |accessdate= February 15, 2011 |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110521194633/http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/images/uniform-monday-holiday-law.jpg |archivedate= May 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> This places it between February 15 and 21, which makes "Washington's Birthday" something of a misnomer, since it never occurs on Washington's actual birthday, February 22. (A rough analog of this phenomenon can be seen in [[Commonwealth realms]], where the [[Queen's Official Birthday|reigning monarch's official birthday]] is celebrated without regard to their actual date of birth.)
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The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an [[Act of Congress]] in 1879 for government offices in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] ({{USStat|20|277}}) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices ({{USStat|23|516}}). The first federal holiday to honor an American president, the holiday was celebrated on Washington's birthday, February 22. On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act]].<ref>[https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/images/uniform-monday-holiday-law.jpg Uniform Monday Holiday Act] ''National Archives and Records Administration'', January 15, 1968. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> This places it between February 15 and 21, which makes "Washington's Birthday" something of a misnomer, since it never occurs on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.  
  
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The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the "President's Day National Committee" was formed by [[Harold Stonebridge Fischer]] of [[Compton, California]], who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor the office of the presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day, but the bill recognizing March 4 stalled in the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] (which had authority over federal holidays). The committee felt that, given its proximity to Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. But meanwhile the governors of a majority of the states issued proclamations declaring March 4 Presidents' Day in their respective jurisdictions.<ref name="Spectator">{{Cite news |url=https://spectator.org/36032_day-isnt/ |title=The Day That Isn't |last=Hannaford |first=Peter |date=February 17, 2012 |work=[[The American Spectator]] |access-date=February 17, 2018 |language=en-US |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218072331/https://spectator.org/36032_day-isnt/ |archivedate=February 18, 2018  }}</ref>
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An early draft of the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act]] would have renamed the holiday "Presidents' Day" to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee, and the bill was voted on and signed into law keeping the name "Washington's Birthday."<ref>David Wells, [https://fox13now.com/2014/02/17/happy-washington-and-lincoln-day/ Happy Washington and Lincoln Day] ''FOX13'', February 17, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
  
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An early draft of the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act]] would have renamed the holiday "Presidents' Day" to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee, and the bill was voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968, keeping the name "Washington's Birthday".<ref name="Spectator"/>
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A previous attempt to create a Presidents Day had occurred in 1951 when the "President's Day National Committee" was formed by [[Harold Stonebridge Fischer]] of [[Compton, California]], who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor the office of the presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day, but the bill recognizing March 4 stalled in the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] (which had authority over federal holidays). The committee felt that, given its proximity to Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. But meanwhile the governors of a majority of the states issued proclamations declaring March 4 Presidents' Day in their respective jurisdictions.<ref>Will Moneymaker, [https://ancestralfindings.com/presidents-day/ The History of Presidents’ Day] ''Ancestral Findings''. Retrieved February 7, 2020. </ref>
  
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By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents' Day" began its public appearance.<ref name="Arbelbide">{{cite web |url= https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/gw-birthday-1.html |title= By George, It Is Washington's Birthday! |last= Arbelbide |first= C.L. |date= Winter 2004 |volume= 36 |issue= 4 |work= [[Prologue Magazine]] |accessdate= February 13, 2009 |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090219075850/http://archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/gw-birthday-1.html |archivedate= February 19, 2009 |df= mdy-all }}</ref>
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By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents' Day" began its public appearance.<ref>C.L. Arbelbide, [https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/gw-birthday-1.html By George, It Is Washington's Birthday!] ''Prologue Magazine'' 36(4) (Winter 2004). Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
  
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In Washington's adopted hometown of [[Alexandria, Virginia]], celebrations are held throughout February.<ref>[http://www.visitalexandriava.com/calendar-of-events/alexandria-george-washington-birthday/ The George Washington Birthday Celebration] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506071433/http://www.visitalexandriava.com/calendar-of-events/alexandria-george-washington-birthday/ |date=May 6, 2015 }}</ref>
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===Lincoln's birthday===
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[[File:78TH ANNIVERSARY OF LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY (held by) REPUBLICAN CLUB OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK (at) DELMONICO'S (HOT) (NYPL Hades-269617-474267).jpg|thumb|200px|Menu from Lincoln's Birthday celebration held by the [[Republican Club of the City of New York]] in 1887.  Many [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] organizations hold Lincoln's Birthday celebrations because Lincoln was the first Republican president.]]
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[[File:Photograph of ceremony at Lincoln Memorial attended by Vice President Truman, celebrating Lincoln's Birthday. - NARA - 199057.jpg|thumb|250px|Photograph of ceremony at Lincoln Memorial attended by Vice President Truman, celebrating Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1945]]
  
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==Official state holidays==
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'''Lincoln's Birthday''' is a legal, public holiday in some U.S. states, observed on the anniversary of [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s birth on February 12, 1809. [[Connecticut]], [[Illinois]],<ref>[http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/010500050k24-2.htm Sec. 24-2. Holidays] ''105 ILCS 5/24-2''. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> [[Indiana]],<ref>[http://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/2019/ic/titles/001 Chapter 9. Legal Holidays] ''Indiana Code 2019''. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> [[Ohio]], [[Texas]], [[California]], [[Missouri]], and [[New York (state)|New York]] observe the holiday on this day.
  
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Although [[Lincoln's Birthday]], February 12, was never a federal holiday, nearly half of the state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday observances as "Presidents' Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other such designations. (In [[historical rankings of presidents of the United States]] Lincoln and Washington are frequently, but not always, the top two presidents.) However, "Presidents' Day" is not always an all-inclusive term and might refer to only a selection of presidents.
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In other states, Lincoln's birthday is not celebrated separately, as a stand-alone holiday.  Instead Lincoln's Birthday is combined with a celebration of President [[George Washington]]'s birthday and celebrated either as '''Washington's Birthday''' or as '''Presidents' Day''' on the third Monday in February, concurrent with the [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holiday]].
  
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Because "Presidents' Day" is not the official name of the federal holiday there is variation in how it is rendered, both colloquially and in the name of official state holidays.<ref name="2manyCh1efs">{{cite news |url= http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/02/19/070219taco_talk_hertzberg |title= Too Many Chiefs |first= Hendrik |last= Hertzberg |work= [[The New Yorker]] |date= February 19, 2007 |accessdate= February 22, 2017 |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140404152437/http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/02/19/070219taco_talk_hertzberg |archivedate= April 4, 2014 |df= mdy-all }}</ref>
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The earliest known observance of Lincoln's birthday occurred in [[Buffalo, New York]], in either 1873 or 1874. Julius Francis (d. 1881), a Buffalo druggist, made it his life's mission to honor [[Abraham Lincoln assassination|the slain president]]. He repeatedly petitioned [[United States Congress|Congress]] to establish Lincoln's birthday as a [[Civic holiday|legal holiday]].<ref>Louise Continelli, [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BN&p_theme=bn&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F94DDB5EDB987BB&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Lincoln Tribute Places Spotlight on Local Connection] ''The Buffalo News'', February 17, 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
  
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When used with the intention of celebrating more than one individual, the form "Presidents' Day" was usual in the past. In recent years, as the use of [[noun adjunct|attributive nouns]] (nouns acting as modifiers) has become more widespread, the form "Presidents Day" has become more common;<ref>{{cite news |first= Pam |last= Nelson |date= March 23, 2006 |url= http://blogsarchive.newsobserver.com/grammar/index.php?title=kids_day_or_kids_day_1&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 |title= Kids Day or Kids' Day |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090319081932/http://blogsarchive.newsobserver.com/grammar/index.php?title=kids_day_or_kids_day_1&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 |archivedate= March 19, 2009 |department= Grammar Guide |work= [[The News & Observer]] |location= Raleigh, NC}}</ref> the ''[[Associated Press Stylebook]]'', most newspapers and some magazines use this form.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/history/2015/02/13/what-name-the-truth-about-presidents-day/MvHWeDlV1SHtrpZrtz8UPL/story.html "What’s in a Name: The Truth About Presidents Day"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001025552/http://www.boston.com/news/history/2015/02/13/what-name-the-truth-about-presidents-day/MvHWeDlV1SHtrpZrtz8UPL/story.html |date=October 1, 2015 }}, Dialynn Dwyer, February 13, 2015, Boston.com</ref>
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The day is marked by traditional wreath-laying ceremonies at [[Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site]] in [[Hodgenville, Kentucky]], and at the [[Lincoln Memorial]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] The latter has been the site of a ceremony ever since the Memorial was dedicated. Since that event in 1922, observances continue to be organized by the [[Lincoln Birthday National Commemorative Committee]] and by the [[Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States]] (MOLLUS). A wreath is laid on behalf of the [[President of the United States]], a custom also carried out at the grave sites of all deceased U.S. presidents on their birthdays. [[Lincoln Tomb|Lincoln's tomb]] is in [[Springfield, Illinois]].
  
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"President's Day" as an alternate rendering of "Washington's Birthday", or for the purpose of commemorating the presidency as an institution, is a proper use of a [[English possessive|possessive]] and is the legal spelling in eight states.<ref>{{cite press release |author= Office of the Press Secretary |url= https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070219.html |title= President Bush Visits Mount Vernon, Honors President Washington's 275th Birthday on President's Day |date= February 19, 2007 |publisher= The White House |accessdate= January 21, 2014 |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130507013224/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070219.html |archivedate= May 7, 2013 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> But it is an error in punctuation if meant to refer to more than one president (see [[apostrophe]]).
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On February 12, 2009, the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial commemorated Lincoln's 200th birthday in grand fashion.  An extended ceremony, organized by the [[Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission]] (ALBC) and with help from MOLLUS, featured musical performances from four-time Grammy-nominated singer [[Michael Feinstein]] and the [[United States Marine Band|U.S. Marine Corps Band]]. The morning celebration also featured remarks by Illinois Senator [[Dick Durbin]]; Lincoln scholar and ALBC Co-Chair [[Harold Holzer]]; recently retired [[Rhode Island Supreme Court]] Chief Justice – and ALBC Commissioner – [[Frank J. Williams]]; and author [[Nikki Giovanni]] reciting her newest work, which was written especially for the bicentennial.
  
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In the following states and possessions, Washington's Birthday is an official state holiday and known as:<ref>See [[Public holidays in the United States]] for citations.</ref>
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As part of Lincoln's birthday bicentennial, the U.S. Mint released four new [[Lincoln cent]]s. The [[Modern United States commemorative coins|commemorative coins]] have new designs on the [[Obverse and reverse|reverse]] showing stages of his life. The first went into [[Circulation (currency)|circulation]] on September 12, 2009. The standard portrait of Lincoln's head remains on the front. The new designs include a [[log cabin]] representing his birthplace, Lincoln as a young man reading while sitting on a log that he was taking a break from splitting, Lincoln as a state legislator in front of the [[Old State Capitol State Historic Site|Illinois Capitol]], and the [[United States Capitol dome|partially built dome]] of the [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]].<ref>[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-lincoln-pennies-unvei_n_166394?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93aWtpLm5ld3dvcmxkZW5jeWNsb3BlZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpL1dhc2hpbmd0b24lMjdzX0JpcnRoZGF5&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAABLdgjwsgV_2ZIuLeE77jk4b_y5-lY4L2Hj5DGOpKqH8T3hHbek6Y6HcOuvMf1v_22_LAl73UoGN_a_UAzH-svsvVelpgx8C8SUljvMPRkymWZP63qeZKyFOpXYJCc6T5DSWBJVp-eynS51XJxAKUYHBbsE6hRcJszxZlNkzEwT "New Lincoln Pennies Unveiled: See Pictures Of Each Penny] ''The Huffington Post'', December 6, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
  
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''Using "president"''
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==Official state holidays==
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*Presidents' Day in Hawaii,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://dhrd.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/State-Holidays-2016-2017.pdf |title=Years 2016 and 2017 Holidays to be observed by the Hawaii State Government |date=August 11, 2015 |publisher=[[Hawaii]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125111850/https://dhrd.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/State-Holidays-2016-2017.pdf |archive-date=January 25, 2017 |access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref> New Mexico, North Dakota,<ref>{{cite web |title=Holidays |url=https://www.nd.gov/omb/agency/state-government-human-resource-management/state-hr-laws-rules-and-policies/holidays |work=Office of Management and Budget |publisher=[[North Dakota]] |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221105657/https://www.nd.gov/omb/agency/state-government-human-resource-management/state-hr-laws-rules-and-policies/holidays |archivedate=February 21, 2017  }}</ref> Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Washington<ref name="nlrodgers">{{cite web |url=http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=1.16.050 |title=RCW 1.16.050 |work=Revised Code of Washington |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203183442/http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=1.16.050 |archivedate=February 3, 2015  }}</ref>
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[[File:Carson Pirie Scott Building on Lincoln's 100th Birthday.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Carson Pirie Scott & Co.]] store on State Street in [[Chicago, Illinois]] decorated for Lincoln 100th birthday in 1909]]
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*President's Day in Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming
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The day is a [[state holiday]] in most states, with official names including '''Washington's Birthday''', '''Presidents' Day''', '''President's Day''', and '''Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday'''. Depending upon the specific law, the state holiday might officially celebrate [[George Washington]] alone, Washington and [[Abraham Lincoln]], or some other combination of U.S. presidents (such as Washington and the third president [[Thomas Jefferson]], who was born in April).<ref> Valerie Strauss, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/16/why-presidents-day-is-slightly-strange/ Why Presidents' Day Is slightly strange] ''The Washington Post'', February 16, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
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*Presidents Day in Nevada, New Jersey, and Oregon
 
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*Washington's Birthday/President's Day in Maine
 
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*Lincoln/Washington/Presidents' Day in Arizona
 
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''Washington alone''
 
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*George Washington Day in Virginia
 
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*Washington's Birthday in Illinois, Iowa,<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Holidays and Recognition Days, §1C,2 |url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/1c.pdf |work=[[Iowa|Iowa Legislature]] |date=December 13, 2016 |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222150708/https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/1c.pdf |archivedate=December 22, 2016  }}</ref>, Massachusetts<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm|title=Massachusetts Legal Holidays|website=www.sec.state.ma.us|access-date=February 16, 2019}}</ref>, Michigan,<ref>{{cite web|title = Legal Holidays (Excerpt)|url = http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(eo5aotjlszou4wwiefnnhl1g))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-435-101|accessdate = February 16, 2018|url-status = live|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170828125531/http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(qnxbujadh5mtmjim031wjdcf))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectname=mcl-435-101|archivedate = August 28, 2017|df = mdy-all}}</ref> Louisiana and New York<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bsc.ogs.ny.gov/sites/default/files/BSCAnnouncementStateHolidays91516.pdf|title=New York State Holidays|date=September 15, 2016|website=NY Office of General Services, Business Services Center|access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref>
 
  
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''Washington and Lincoln''
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Although [[Lincoln's Birthday]], February 12, was never a federal holiday, nearly half of the state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday observances as "Presidents' Day," "Washington and Lincoln Day," or other such designations.  
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*Lincoln's and Washington's Birthday in Montana
 
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*Washington–Lincoln Day in Colorado,<ref>{{cite web |title=Colorado Revised Statutes Title 24. Government State § 24-11-101. Legal holidays—effect |url=http://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-24-government-state/co-rev-st-sect-24-11-101.html |work=[[FindLaw]] |date=February 16, 2017 |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221114525/http://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-24-government-state/co-rev-st-sect-24-11-101.html |archivedate=February 21, 2017  }}</ref> Ohio<ref>{{cite web |title=1.14 Excluding first and including last day – legal holidays |url=http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/gp1.14 |work=[[Ohio|LAWriter Ohio Laws and Rules]] |date=April 10, 2001 |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219071355/http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/gp1.14 |archivedate=February 19, 2017  }}</ref>
 
−
*Washington and Lincoln Day in Utah<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://senatesite.com/utahsenate/washington-lincoln-day/ |title=Washington and Lincoln Day in Utah, per state code |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220154047/http://senatesite.com/utahsenate/washington-lincoln-day/ |archivedate=December 20, 2016  |date=February 13, 2015 }}</ref>
 
−
*Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday in Minnesota<ref>{{cite web |title=2016 Minnesota Statutes |url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=645.44 |work=Revisor of Statutes |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124021554/https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=645.44 |archivedate=November 24, 2016  }}</ref>
 
  
−
''Washington and another person''
+
Because "Presidents' Day" is not the official name of the federal holiday there is variation in how it is rendered ("President's Day," "Presidents' Day," and "Presidents Day"), both colloquially and in the name of official state holidays.<ref>Hendrik Hertzberg, [http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/02/19/070219taco_talk_hertzberg Too Many Chiefs] ''The New Yorker'', February 19, 2007. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
−
*George Washington/Thomas Jefferson Birthday in Alabama<ref>{{cite web |title=2017 Holiday Schedule |url=http://inform.alabama.gov/calendar.aspx |date=February 2017 |work=[[Alabama|State of Alabama]] |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205173025/http://inform.alabama.gov/calendar.aspx |archivedate=February 5, 2017  }}</ref>
 
−
*George Washington's Birthday and [[Daisy Bates (civil rights activist)|Daisy Gatson Bates]] Day in Arkansas
 
  
−
''Unspecified''
+
Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. For example, in [[Massachusetts]], the state officially celebrates "Washington's Birthday" on the same day as the federal holiday while state law also directs the governor to issue an annual "Presidents Day" proclamation on May 29 ([[John F. Kennedy]]'s birthday), honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, [[John Adams]], [[John Quincy Adams]], and [[Calvin Coolidge]].<ref>[https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter6/Section15vv Section 15VV Presidents Day] ''Commonwealth of Massachusetts''. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> In [[California]], [[Connecticut]], [[Missouri]], and [[Illinois]], while Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln's birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.
−
*"The third Monday in February" in California; Lincoln's birthday is explicitly named as a separate holiday.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=6700. | title=Cal. Gov. Code § | accessdate=February 12, 2016 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009062143/http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=6700. | archivedate=October 9, 2016 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&division=3.&title=2.&part=22.&chapter=2.&article=3. | title=California State Education Code – Washington Day | accessdate=February 12, 2016 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710010608/http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&division=3.&title=2.&part=22.&chapter=2.&article=3. | archivedate=July 10, 2015 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>
 
−
 
 
−
Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. In [[Massachusetts]], the state officially celebrates "Washington's Birthday" on the same day as the federal holiday. State law also directs the governor to issue an annual "Presidents Day" proclamation on May 29 ([[John F. Kennedy]]'s birthday), honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, [[John Adams]], [[John Quincy Adams]], and [[Calvin Coolidge]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.MaLegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter6/Section15vv |title= Section 15VV Presidents Day |work= The General Laws of Massachusetts |at= ch. 6, § 15vv |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120124224452/http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter6/Section15vv |archivedate= January 24, 2012 |df= mdy-all }} (Coolidge was the only one born outside of Massachusetts. [[George H. W. Bush]], on the other hand, was born in Massachusetts, but has spent most of his life elsewhere.)</ref> In [[California]],<ref>Cal. Gov. Code § [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=06001-07000&file=6700-6724 6700(a)(4)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309101941/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=06001-07000&file=6700-6724 |date=March 9, 2013 }}</ref> [[Connecticut]], [[Missouri]], and [[Illinois]], while Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, [[Lincoln's Birthday|Abraham Lincoln's birthday]] is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.
 
−
 
 
−
In [[New Mexico]], Presidents' Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on the [[Black Friday (shopping)|Friday following]] [[Thanksgiving]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.stonm.org/AboutTheTreasurersOffice/OfficialStateHolidays |title= Official State Holidays |publisher= New Mexico State Treasurer's Office |accessdate= January 21, 2014 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20111107102812/http://www.stonm.org/AboutTheTreasurersOffice/OfficialStateHolidays |archivedate= November 7, 2011 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> In [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], Presidents' Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on [[Christmas Eve]] (Observed on the prior Thursday if [[Christmas]] falls on Saturday; observed on the prior Friday if [[Christmas]] falls on a Sunday. If December 24 is a Wednesday, then this holiday is observed on Friday December 26.)<ref>{{cite web |title=Observing State Holidays |url=http://georgia.gov/popular-topic/observing-state-holidays |work=[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] |date=August 5, 2016 |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226175333/https://georgia.gov/popular-topic/observing-state-holidays |archivedate=February 26, 2017  }}</ref> Similarly, in [[Indiana]], Washington's Birthday is observed on Christmas Eve, or the day preceding the weekend if Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday; while Lincoln's Birthday is the day after Thanksgiving.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.in.gov/spd/2555.htm | title=SPD: State Holidays | publisher=Indiana State Personnel Department | accessdate=February 14, 2016 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301180846/http://www.in.gov/spd/2555.htm | archivedate=March 1, 2016 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>
 
  
 
== Observance and traditions ==
 
== Observance and traditions ==
−
[[File:Los Angeles Consolidated Electric at Pico Heights. Decorated for Washington's Birthday.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Los Angeles Pacific Railroad|Los Angeles]] streetcar decorated for Washington's Birthday, {{circa}} 1892]]
+
[[File:Los Angeles Consolidated Electric at Pico Heights. Decorated for Washington's Birthday.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Los Angeles]] streetcar decorated for Washington's Birthday, {{circa}} 1892]]
  
−
A food traditionally associated with the holiday is [[cherry pie]], based on the legendary chopping down of a cherry tree in Washington's youth.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/chow-town/article339278/Celebrate-George-Washington%E2%80%99s-birthday-with-cherry-pie.html |title=Celebrate George Washington's birthday with cherry pie |last=Mirabile Jr. |first=Jasper J. |date=February 16, 2014 |work=[[The Kansas City Star]] |access-date=February 17, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105201837/http://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/chow-town/article339278/Celebrate-George-Washington%E2%80%99s-birthday-with-cherry-pie.html |archivedate=November 5, 2016  }}</ref>
+
A food traditionally associated with the holiday is [[cherry pie]], based on the legendary chopping down of a [[cherry]] tree in Washington's youth.<ref>Jasper J. Mirabile, Jr., [https://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/chow-town/article339278/Celebrate-George-Washington%E2%80%99s-birthday-with-cherry-pie.html Celebrate George Washington's birthday with cherry pie] ''The Kansas City Star'', February 16, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2020. </ref>
  
−
Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on [[Memorial Day]] or Christmas Day.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/presidents-day-is-being-observed-today-feb-20-2017-235144 |title=Presidents Day is being observed today, Feb. 20, 2017 |last=Glass |first=Andrew |date=February 20, 2017 |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=February 17, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301044907/http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/presidents-day-is-being-observed-today-feb-20-2017-235144 |archivedate=March 1, 2017  }}</ref> However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering sales and other promotions. Federal and state government services close ([[United States Postal Service|U.S. Postal Service]], state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/15/what-open-and-closed-presidents-day/341577002/ |title=What is open and closed on Presidents Day? |last=May |first=Ashley |date=February 15, 2018 |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=February 17, 2018 |language=en |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215230140/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/15/what-open-and-closed-presidents-day/341577002/ |archivedate=February 15, 2018  }}</ref> Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on the school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, but some school districts, such as New York City, may close for an entire week as a "mid-winter recess".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://schools.nyc.gov/Calendar/default.htm |title=2017–2018 Holidays and Key Dates |website=New York City Department of Education |access-date=February 18, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009052516/http://schools.nyc.gov/Calendar/default.htm |archivedate=October 9, 2017  }}</ref>
+
Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on [[Memorial Day]] or Christmas Day. However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering "Presidents Day" sales and other promotions over the long weekend. Federal and state government services close ([[United States Postal Service|U.S. Postal Service]], state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts).<ref>Ashley May, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/15/what-open-and-closed-presidents-day/341577002/ What is open and closed on Presidents Day?] ''USA Today'', February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on the school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, unless they use the to make up for time lost due to inclement weather.  
  
−
The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington's 200th birthday in 1932, the [[Purple Heart]] medal (which bears Washington's image) is awarded to soldiers who are injured in battle.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129711544 |title=A History of the Purple Heart |last=Miller |first=T. Christian |date=September 8, 2010 |work=National Public Radio |access-date=February 18, 2018 |language=en |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720204828/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129711544 |archivedate=July 20, 2017  }}</ref>
 
 
[[File:George Washington's birthday, a view of mount vernon (NBY 18003).jpg|thumb|250px|George Washington's birthday, [[Mount Vernon]]]]
 
[[File:George Washington's birthday, a view of mount vernon (NBY 18003).jpg|thumb|250px|George Washington's birthday, [[Mount Vernon]]]]
−
Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. Washington's hometown of [[Alexandria, Virginia]], hosts a month-long tribute, including what is claimed to be the nation's longest-running and largest George Washington Birthday parade,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://washingtonbirthday.com/parade/ |title=Parade |website=George Washington Birthday Celebration |language=en-US |access-date=February 18, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905123059/http://washingtonbirthday.com/parade/ |archivedate=September 5, 2017  }}</ref> while [[Eustis, Florida]], continues its annual "[[GeorgeFest]]" celebration begun in 1902.<ref>{{cite web|title=Celebrating 113 Years of GeorgeFest|publisher=Lake County News|url=http://www.lakecountyfl.gov/hometown_highlights/georgefest.aspx|accessdate=February 28, 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318090601/http://lakecountyfl.gov/hometown_highlights/georgefest.aspx|archivedate=March 18, 2015}}</ref> In [[Denver|Denver, Colorado]], there is a society dedicated to observing the day.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.presidentsdaysociety.org/blog/the-charter-articles-of-membership-and-portrayal/ |title= The Charter |publisher= Presidents Day Society |accessdate= January 21, 2014 |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120713082202/http://www.presidentsdaysociety.org/blog/the-charter-articles-of-membership-and-portrayal/ |archivedate= July 13, 2012 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> At the [[George Washington Birthplace National Monument]] in [[Westmoreland County, Virginia]], visitors are treated to birthday celebrations on the holiday,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.findyourchesapeake.com/events/detail/george-washington-birthplace-birthday-celebration |title=George Washington Birthplace Birthday Celebration |website=Find Your Chesapeake |language=en |access-date=February 18, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218072331/https://www.findyourchesapeake.com/events/detail/george-washington-birthplace-birthday-celebration |archivedate=February 18, 2018  }}</ref> while at [[Mount Vernon]], they last throughout the holiday weekend and through February 22.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/washingtons-birthday-celebration/ |title=Washington's Birthday Celebration |website=George Washington's Mount Vernon |language=en |access-date=February 18, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709195626/http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/washingtons-birthday-celebration/ |archivedate=July 9, 2017  }}</ref>
+
Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. In Washington's adopted hometown of [[Alexandria, Virginia]], celebrations are held throughout the month of February, including what is claimed to be the nation's longest-running and largest George Washington Birthday parade.<ref>[https://www.visitalexandriava.com/things-to-do/events/george-washington-birthday/ Alexandria Celebrates Washington's Birthday] ''VisitAlexandriaVA.com''. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> [[Eustis, Florida]] continues its annual "[[GeorgeFest]]" celebration begun in 1902.<ref>[https://eustisgeorgefest.org/ GeorgeFest] Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> At the [[George Washington Birthplace National Monument]] in [[Westmoreland County, Virginia]], visitors are treated to birthday celebrations on the holiday.<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=73318113-FD8E-7535-26F9476827BE7F96 Celebrate Washington’s 288th and Park’s 90th Birthdays] ''National Park Service''. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref> At [[Mount Vernon]], the celebrations include a wreath-laying at Washington's tomb.<ref>[https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/washington-s-birthday-celebration/ Washington's Birthday Celebration] ''Mount Vernon''. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
  
−
Since 1862 there has been a tradition in the [[United States Senate]] that [[George Washington's Farewell Address]] be read on his birthday. Citizens asked that this be done in light of the ongoing Civil War.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Washingtons_Farewell_Address.htm |title=Washington's Farewell Address |website=United States Senate |access-date=February 18, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206013936/https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Washingtons_Farewell_Address.htm |archivedate=December 6, 2017  }}</ref>
+
Since 1862 there has been a tradition in the [[United States Senate]] that [[George Washington's Farewell Address]] be read on his birthday. This tradition began on February 22, 1862, as a morale-boosting gesture during the darkest days of the Civil War.<ref>[https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Washingtons_Farewell_Address.htm Washington's Farewell Address] ''United States Senate''. Retrieved February 7, 2020.</ref>
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
Line 99: Line 82:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 +
* Myers, Robert J. ''Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays''.  Doubleday & Company, 1972. ISBN 978-0385076777
 +
* Santino, Jack. ''All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life''. University of Illinois Press, 1994. ISBN 978-0252020490
 +
* St. Nicholas Magazine. ''Our American Holidays: Their Meaning and Spirit''. Better Days Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1435731400
  
 +
==External links==
 +
All links retrieved May 3, 2023.
  
−
==External links==
+
* [https://www.almanac.com/content/when-presidents-day Presidents' Day History, Folklore, and more] ''The Old Farmer's Almanac''
−
* {{commons-inline}}
+
* [https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/presidents-day Presidents Day] ''History.com''
 +
* [https://nationaltoday.com/presidents-day/ Presidents Day] ''National Today''
 +
* [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/presidents-day/ What Is Presidents Day?] ''Snopes.com''
 +
* [https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/washington George Washington's Birthday] ''National Archives''
 +
* [https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/facts/the-truth-about-presidents-day/ "Presidents' Day"? The Truth Behind the Holiday] ''George Washington's Mount Vernon''
 +
* [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/hannibal-hamlin-proposes-lincoln-birthday-national-observance/ Hannibal Hamlin Proposes Lincoln's Birthday a National Day of Observance 1887] Shapell Manuscript Foundation
 +
* [https://www.nps.gov/abli/index.htm Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site]
  
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{{George Washington}}
 
 
{{US Federal Holidays}}
 
{{US Federal Holidays}}
 
{{US Holidays}}
 
{{US Holidays}}
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[[Category:Lifestyle]]
 
[[Category:Lifestyle]]
 
[[Category:Social sciences]]
 
[[Category:Social sciences]]
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{{Credit|Washington's_Birthday|938998266|Lincoln's_Birthday|936777361}}

Latest revision as of 23:00, 3 May 2023


"Presidents' Day" redirects here.
"Lincoln's Birthday" redirects here.
Washington's Birthday
Washington's Birthday
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1797)
Official name Washington's Birthday
Also called Presidents Day
or a variant thereof
Observed by United States
Type Federal (and most U.S. states)
Observances Community, historical celebrations; Congressional recognition.
Related to Lincoln's Birthday

Washington's Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States, who was born on February 22, 1732 (by the Gregorian calendar). Since the Uniform Federal Holidays Act of 1971, its observance can occur from February 15 to 21, inclusive.

Colloquially, the day is also now widely known as Presidents' Day and is often an occasion to honor all who have served as president, not just George Washington. In particular, Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12, is often honored together with Washington. Celebrations involve honoring Washington as the founding president in ways both serious, such as reading his Farewell Address, to the more frivolous, such as eating cherry pie. The long weekend has become an opportunity for shopping for deals as most businesses remain open, often offering sales and other promotions.

History

Washington's birthday

Procession of events for the centennial celebration of Washington's birthday, Philadelphia, February 1832

George Washington was born on February 11, 1731 (by the Julian calendar), at his parents' Pope's Creek Estate near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia. At the time, the entire British Empire, including its North American possessions, was on the Julian calendar; the Empire, not being bound to the Catholic Church, had not yet adopted the modern Gregorian calendar that Catholic countries adopted in 1582. Consequently, due to leap year differences, by the 1730s the Julian calendar used by Britain and the Colonies was eleven days behind the Gregorian. Furthermore, the British civil year began on March 25 rather than January 1, so that dates in February 'belonged' to the preceding year. In 1752, The British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar; since then, Americans born prior to 1752, including Washington, have typically had their birthdays recognized under what their birthday would have been under the Gregorian calendar. Since, during the 1700s, February 11 under the Julian calendar would fall as February 22 on the Gregorian, Washington's birthday has been generally recognized as February 22, 1732.

Washington's Birthday sign, 1890–1899c. 1890–1899

The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in Washington (20 Stat. 277) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23 Stat. 516). The first federal holiday to honor an American president, the holiday was celebrated on Washington's birthday, February 22. On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.[1] This places it between February 15 and 21, which makes "Washington's Birthday" something of a misnomer, since it never occurs on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.

An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act would have renamed the holiday "Presidents' Day" to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee, and the bill was voted on and signed into law keeping the name "Washington's Birthday."[2]

A previous attempt to create a Presidents Day had occurred in 1951 when the "President's Day National Committee" was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California, who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor the office of the presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day, but the bill recognizing March 4 stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee (which had authority over federal holidays). The committee felt that, given its proximity to Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. But meanwhile the governors of a majority of the states issued proclamations declaring March 4 Presidents' Day in their respective jurisdictions.[3]

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents' Day" began its public appearance.[4]

Lincoln's birthday

Menu from Lincoln's Birthday celebration held by the Republican Club of the City of New York in 1887. Many Republican Party organizations hold Lincoln's Birthday celebrations because Lincoln was the first Republican president.
Photograph of ceremony at Lincoln Memorial attended by Vice President Truman, celebrating Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1945

Lincoln's Birthday is a legal, public holiday in some U.S. states, observed on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth on February 12, 1809. Connecticut, Illinois,[5] Indiana,[6] Ohio, Texas, California, Missouri, and New York observe the holiday on this day.

In other states, Lincoln's birthday is not celebrated separately, as a stand-alone holiday. Instead Lincoln's Birthday is combined with a celebration of President George Washington's birthday and celebrated either as Washington's Birthday or as Presidents' Day on the third Monday in February, concurrent with the federal holiday.

The earliest known observance of Lincoln's birthday occurred in Buffalo, New York, in either 1873 or 1874. Julius Francis (d. 1881), a Buffalo druggist, made it his life's mission to honor the slain president. He repeatedly petitioned Congress to establish Lincoln's birthday as a legal holiday.[7]

The day is marked by traditional wreath-laying ceremonies at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky, and at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The latter has been the site of a ceremony ever since the Memorial was dedicated. Since that event in 1922, observances continue to be organized by the Lincoln Birthday National Commemorative Committee and by the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). A wreath is laid on behalf of the President of the United States, a custom also carried out at the grave sites of all deceased U.S. presidents on their birthdays. Lincoln's tomb is in Springfield, Illinois.

On February 12, 2009, the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial commemorated Lincoln's 200th birthday in grand fashion. An extended ceremony, organized by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) and with help from MOLLUS, featured musical performances from four-time Grammy-nominated singer Michael Feinstein and the U.S. Marine Corps Band. The morning celebration also featured remarks by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin; Lincoln scholar and ALBC Co-Chair Harold Holzer; recently retired Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice – and ALBC Commissioner – Frank J. Williams; and author Nikki Giovanni reciting her newest work, which was written especially for the bicentennial.

As part of Lincoln's birthday bicentennial, the U.S. Mint released four new Lincoln cents. The commemorative coins have new designs on the reverse showing stages of his life. The first went into circulation on September 12, 2009. The standard portrait of Lincoln's head remains on the front. The new designs include a log cabin representing his birthplace, Lincoln as a young man reading while sitting on a log that he was taking a break from splitting, Lincoln as a state legislator in front of the Illinois Capitol, and the partially built dome of the U.S. Capitol.[8]

Official state holidays

Carson Pirie Scott & Co. store on State Street in Chicago, Illinois decorated for Lincoln 100th birthday in 1909

The day is a state holiday in most states, with official names including Washington's Birthday, Presidents' Day, President's Day, and Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday. Depending upon the specific law, the state holiday might officially celebrate George Washington alone, Washington and Abraham Lincoln, or some other combination of U.S. presidents (such as Washington and the third president Thomas Jefferson, who was born in April).[9]

Although Lincoln's Birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, nearly half of the state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday observances as "Presidents' Day," "Washington and Lincoln Day," or other such designations.

Because "Presidents' Day" is not the official name of the federal holiday there is variation in how it is rendered ("President's Day," "Presidents' Day," and "Presidents Day"), both colloquially and in the name of official state holidays.[10]

Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. For example, in Massachusetts, the state officially celebrates "Washington's Birthday" on the same day as the federal holiday while state law also directs the governor to issue an annual "Presidents Day" proclamation on May 29 (John F. Kennedy's birthday), honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Calvin Coolidge.[11] In California, Connecticut, Missouri, and Illinois, while Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln's birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.

Observance and traditions

Los Angeles streetcar decorated for Washington's Birthday, c. 1892

A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie, based on the legendary chopping down of a cherry tree in Washington's youth.[12]

Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on Memorial Day or Christmas Day. However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering "Presidents Day" sales and other promotions over the long weekend. Federal and state government services close (U.S. Postal Service, state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts).[13] Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on the school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, unless they use the to make up for time lost due to inclement weather.

George Washington's birthday, Mount Vernon

Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. In Washington's adopted hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, celebrations are held throughout the month of February, including what is claimed to be the nation's longest-running and largest George Washington Birthday parade.[14] Eustis, Florida continues its annual "GeorgeFest" celebration begun in 1902.[15] At the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia, visitors are treated to birthday celebrations on the holiday.[16] At Mount Vernon, the celebrations include a wreath-laying at Washington's tomb.[17]

Since 1862 there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington's Farewell Address be read on his birthday. This tradition began on February 22, 1862, as a morale-boosting gesture during the darkest days of the Civil War.[18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Uniform Monday Holiday Act National Archives and Records Administration, January 15, 1968. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  2. ↑ David Wells, Happy Washington and Lincoln Day FOX13, February 17, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  3. ↑ Will Moneymaker, The History of Presidents’ Day Ancestral Findings. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  4. ↑ C.L. Arbelbide, By George, It Is Washington's Birthday! Prologue Magazine 36(4) (Winter 2004). Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  5. ↑ Sec. 24-2. Holidays 105 ILCS 5/24-2. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  6. ↑ Chapter 9. Legal Holidays Indiana Code 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  7. ↑ Louise Continelli, Lincoln Tribute Places Spotlight on Local Connection The Buffalo News, February 17, 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  8. ↑ "New Lincoln Pennies Unveiled: See Pictures Of Each Penny The Huffington Post, December 6, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  9. ↑ Valerie Strauss, Why Presidents' Day Is slightly strange The Washington Post, February 16, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  10. ↑ Hendrik Hertzberg, Too Many Chiefs The New Yorker, February 19, 2007. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  11. ↑ Section 15VV Presidents Day Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  12. ↑ Jasper J. Mirabile, Jr., Celebrate George Washington's birthday with cherry pie The Kansas City Star, February 16, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  13. ↑ Ashley May, What is open and closed on Presidents Day? USA Today, February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  14. ↑ Alexandria Celebrates Washington's Birthday VisitAlexandriaVA.com. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  15. ↑ GeorgeFest Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  16. ↑ Celebrate Washington’s 288th and Park’s 90th Birthdays National Park Service. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  17. ↑ Washington's Birthday Celebration Mount Vernon. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  18. ↑ Washington's Farewell Address United States Senate. Retrieved February 7, 2020.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Myers, Robert J. Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays. Doubleday & Company, 1972. ISBN 978-0385076777
  • Santino, Jack. All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life. University of Illinois Press, 1994. ISBN 978-0252020490
  • St. Nicholas Magazine. Our American Holidays: Their Meaning and Spirit. Better Days Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1435731400

External links

All links retrieved May 3, 2023.

United States Federal Holidays
Holidays, Observances, and Celebrations in the United States of America
Family Christmas

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