Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday?
Whose holiday is the third Monday in February?
by Ann Marie Imbornoni
Well, according to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in
February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans
believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of both Presidents
Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22
and Feb. 12, respectively. It turns out that whether you honor one or the
other or both of these presidents may depend on where you live.
States Decide on Holidays
The states are not obliged to adopt
federal holidays, which only affect federal offices and agencies. While most
states have adopted Washington's Birthday, a dozen of them officially
celebrate Presidents' Day. A number of the states that celebrate
Washington's Birthday also recognize Lincoln's Birthday as a separate legal
holiday.
When Was the First Public Celebration of Washington's
Birthday?
Washington's Birthday has a history as old as our country.
It was celebrated publicly for the first time in the late 18th century,
while George Washington was still president.
Washington's Birthday
became official in 1885, when President Chester Arthur signed a bill making it
a federal holiday. Meanwhile, there was President Lincoln's birthday on Feb.
12, which never became a federal holiday but was celebrated as a legal
holiday in many states outside the old Confederacy.
Origins of the Monday
Holiday
In 1968, Congress passed the Monday Holidays Act, which
moved the official observance of Washington's birthday from Feb. 22 to the
third Monday in February. Some reformers had wanted to change the name of
the holiday as well, to Presidents' Day, in honor of both Lincoln and
Washington, but that proposal was rejected by Congress, and the holiday
remained officially Washington's Birthday.
Nevertheless, there was a
popular misconception that the day had been officially renamed, a
misconception only reinforced by the fact that the third Monday in February
can only occur between Feb. 15 and Feb. 21. This means that the holiday is
always after Lincoln's birthday and before Washington's birthday, without
ever coinciding with either. Furthermore, some states which had previously
celebrated Lincoln's Birthday dropped the observance after the federal
holiday reforms, supporting the notion that the two presidential birthdays
had been combined.
While the name change has never been authorized by
Congress, it has gained a strong hold on the public consciousness, and is
generally used on calendars, in advertising, and even by many government
agencies. There have been attempts to introduce legislation requiring
federal agencies to call the day Washington's Birthday, but these have never
gotten very far. No matter what's in the law books, the popular usage is now
well established.
You Can't Please All of the People...
Many
people feel that Lincoln, the president credited with preserving the nation
during the Civil War, has been
short-changed. To them, having Presidents' Day is a sensible way to
recognize both Washington and Lincoln. Others feel just as strongly that
having an inclusive Presidents' Day diminishes Washington's importance in
American history.
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