Presidents' Day
Presidents' Day is a federal holiday in the United States, observed on the third Monday in February. It was established to combine the celebration of the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, which were previously separate holidays before the enactment of Public Law 90-363 by Congress in 1968. The law aimed to create more three-day weekends for the nation's workers by moving the observance of certain holidays to Mondays. While Presidents' Day is recognized nationwide, some states, such as Hawaii, Nebraska, Ohio, and the Northern Marianas, have enacted their own laws to formally observe it. Over time, the holiday has shifted from a focus on Washington and Lincoln to a broader celebration of all U.S. presidents. This change has led to a decrease in specific commemorations of Washington and Lincoln's individual contributions, making Presidents' Day a more general observance in American culture.
Presidents' Day
Until the early 1970s, President George Washington's birthday and President Abraham Lincoln's birthday were separate public holidays observed by the federal government and in most states. Public Law 90-363, changing the federal observance of certain holidays to Mondays, was enacted by the United States Congress in 1968 and became effective in 1971. According to the provisions of this Monday Holiday Law, Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday would be jointly observed as a legal public holiday on the third Monday in February.
Hawaii, Nebraska, Ohio, and the American possession of the Northern Marianas have enacted parallel legislation to officially observe Presidents' Day. Regardless of these local enactments, Presidents' Day is in fact observed nationwide. One of the results of its creation, however, has been a declining interest in observances related specifically to Washington and Lincoln. Presidents' Day has evolved to become a somewhat general observance in honor of all the American presidents.
Finley, Ben. "How Presidents Day Went from George Washington’s Modest Birthday to Big Sales and 3-Day Weekends." Associated Press, 19 Feb. 2024, apnews.com/article/presidents-day-washington-lincoln-explainer-1dfed24d0e7e920f9004727b5218dcdb. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Presidents' Day: History of Presidents' Day." Georgia Southern University, 10 Apr. 2024, apnews.com/article/presidents-day-washington-lincoln-explainer-1dfed24d0e7e920f9004727b5218dcdb. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Tumin, Remy. "How One President's Day Became Presidents' Day." The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024, www.nytimes.com/article/presidents-day-lincoln-washington.html. Accessed 1 May 2024.