February, 3rd Monday: Presidents Day

Presidents Day
George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart, 1796

Historically, Presidents Day celebrates the birthday of George Washington, the first American president. Washington was born February 11, 1731 by the Old-Style dates. Under the Julian calendar the date is February 22. In 1879, Congress created a federal holiday for offices in Washington D.C. The holiday was expanded to encompass all federal offices in 1885. With the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 (which went into effect in 1971) the observance of certain holidays moved to Mondays; Washington’s birthday was among them.

The change to Presidents Day was first considered in 1951 by the President’s Day National Committee, but the bill stalled in the Senate. An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act recommended changing the name as well, but when the bill was passed, the name didn’t change. Advertisers, however, preferred Presidents Day, it’s more succinct for sales. Presidents Day Sale rolls off the tongue much easier than George Washington’s Birthday Sale. Advertisers are also responsible for all the alternative spellings: Presidents’ Day, President’s Day, and Presidents Day.

The state dictates who is celebrated. Some celebrate Washington alone (i.e. Virginia and Massachusetts), while others celebrate Washington and Lincoln (such as Ohio and Utah). And then there are those that honor some other combination of presidents, for example Alabama celebrates Washington and Jefferson.

While federal offices get the day off of work on Presidents Day, for most people it’s just another Monday. Elementary schools often do projects and educate children about Washington and the US presidents in the week leading up to and/or the week following.

Presidential Particulars

George Washington (1732-99)—The first President

  • Dates of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797
  • He served as commander in chief of the Continental forces during the Revolutionary War.
  • Not affiliated with a party.
  • Vice President: John Adams.
  • First Lady: Martha Washington
  • They had no children together; however, Martha had two children from her first husband. (When her first husband died she became one of the wealthiest women in Virginia.)
  • Religion: Episcopalian
  • Among Washington’s favorite foods were Beefsteak and Kidney Pie, Trifle, and Chess Cakes.
  • Known as “The Father of Our Country.”
  • He worked as a surveyor and was one of the principals of the Ohio Company, whose purpose was the exploitation of the West.
  • He was chosen unanimously as the first president.
  • He never chopped down a cherry tree, this was propaganda to show he was an honest man.
  • He rarely smiled in his portraits because of poor fitting false teeth.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-65)—The sixteenth President

  • Dates of office: March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865
  • President during the Civil War.
  • Republican
  • Vice Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin (1861-65), Andrew Johnson (1865).
  • First Lady: Mary Todd Lincoln
  • They had four children, only one, Robert Todd Lincoln, grew to adulthood.
  • Religion: No formal affiliation
  • Among Lincoln’s favorite foods were Fricasseed Chicken, Scalloped Oysters, and Election Cake.
  • He was born in a log cabin in the backwoods.
  • He was almost entirely self-educated
  • He worked as a storekeeper, surveyor, and postmaster.
  • In 1863, he moved to free the slaves by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • In the Gettysburg Address, he expressed his views on war.
  • While attending a play at Ford’s Theater, in Washington, D.C, Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. He died the next morning.

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⇴ image from wikipedia, public domain

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