History of President’s Day

Presidents Day is celebrated every year on the 3rd Monday of February. Because of this holiday, most people in school get a three day weekend. As they are enjoying the extra long weekend, it is easy to think of it as another normal day. Even though most people do not do anything to celebrate Presidents Day, it is still important to understand the significance of this holiday. 

Presidents’ Day was originally celebrated in recognition of George Washington, the first president of the United States. The beginning of the story dates all the way back to 1800, right after Washington’s death in 1799. At the time, he was a very important figure that a lot of people looked up to and admired. Two days after Presidents’ Day, it’s Washington’s birthday; which is on February 22nd. Originally, this holiday was going to be on the 22nd as a day of remembrance. 

Later on, Congress proposed a measure known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This was seen as a novel way to create more three day weekends. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was used to reduce employee absences and ensured that most holidays fell on a Monday. Although some people argue that switching holidays would “cheapen their meaning,” the act had worldwide support.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act later expanded to include Aberham Lincoln’s Birthday as well, which is on February 12th. Lincoln’s birthday had already been celebrated beforehand in his home state(s) like Indiana and Illinois. Many Americans agreed with this decision, and decided it was a good idea to give equal recognition to two of America’s most famous political and historical figures. 

By the mid 1800s, Washington’s birthday was widely known as Presidents’ Day, and by the 1980’s, all 50 states had added this holiday to their calendar. Some states even added extra figures to recognize this holiday. For example, Alabama uses this day to celebrate Thomas Jefferson; Arkansas also celebrates civil rights activist Daisy Gatson Bates on this day too.