Fun facts about Presidents' Day

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Presidents' Day
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Did you know? Before it became a federal holiday, Washington's Birthday was celebrated on his actual birth date of February 22 for over a century.

Fact 1 of 29

29 facts about Presidents' Day

  1. 1
    Many people assume that because February has two famous presidential birthdays, the holiday was a compromise to honor both men, but the holiday existed as a solo celebration for Washington for nearly a century before Lincoln's birthday was even widely recognized as a commemorative event.
  2. 2
    Some states have combined this day with other local observances, such as Alabama, which legally celebrates the day as both Washington's Birthday and Thomas Jefferson's Birthday.
  3. 3
    If you are hoping to get a bargain on a mattress, you are participating in a tradition that grew out of retail marketing efforts in the 1980s rather than any historical presidential decree.
  4. 4
    The holiday was initially established in 1879 by a law that specifically applied only to the District of Columbia before eventually expanding to the rest of the country.
  5. 5
    Despite the common belief that Lincoln's birthday is a federal holiday, it has never been a paid holiday for federal government workers.
  6. 6
    Technically, the federal government has never recognized 'Presidents' Day' as the official name of the holiday in any legislation.
  7. 7
    If you are a federal employee, your official holiday calendar will always list the day as Washington's Birthday rather than Presidents' Day.
  8. 8
    Many people think the holiday was created to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but it was originally intended solely for Washington.
  9. 9
    George Washington was born on February 11 according to the old calendar used at the time, but the calendar switch in 1752 moved his official birthday to February 22.
  10. 10
    Most people believe Lincoln’s birthday was always a federal holiday, but it was actually never a nationwide federal holiday.
  11. 11
    The legislative intent behind the Monday shift was to stimulate the economy, not specifically to honor presidential history.
  12. 12
    Some local celebrations feature reenactors dressed in 18th-century clothing walking through downtown areas.
  13. 13
    The shift to a Monday holiday was met with some resistance from history buffs who wanted to keep the specific dates intact.
  14. 14
    Many historical societies hold readings of Washington's Farewell Address to mark the day.
  15. 15
    Some people think the apostrophe in the holiday's name should be after the 's' to honor all presidents, but that depends on which grammar rule you follow.
  16. 16
    It is a funny coincidence that the holiday dedicated to leaders is frequently the day people use to sleep in and ignore the news entirely.
  17. 17
    Most people assume the holiday is a celebration of all presidents, but it was never officially expanded to include everyone who held the office.
  18. 18
    The holiday was shifted to a Monday in 1971, marking a significant change in how Americans observe federal holidays.
  19. 19
    Retailers popularized the name Presidents' Day in the 1980s as a clever marketing tactic to increase mattress and car sales.
  20. 20
    Because the date shifts, the holiday occurs on different calendar dates every year, making it a moving target.
  21. 21
    George Washington’s birthday was once considered a more important patriotic holiday than Independence Day by many early Americans.
  22. 22
    Under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, the federal government mandated that the holiday must fall on the third Monday of February.
  23. 23
    Some states celebrate the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln on the same day, while others add other figures like Thomas Jefferson to the mix.
  24. 24
    Many people incorrectly believe that Presidents' Day was created to celebrate all U.S. presidents, but it was specifically designed to honor the legacy of Washington.
  25. 25
    Presidents' Day is celebrated in February partly because both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were born in that month.
  26. 26
    The holiday was moved to a Monday under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which was primarily pushed by the travel and tourism industry to ensure workers had more three-day weekends to take vacations.
  27. 27
    Because the holiday always falls on a Monday between February 15 and 21, it is mathematically impossible for the holiday to ever land on the actual birthday of George Washington, February 22.
  28. 28
    Presidents Day is actually not the official name of the holiday in the United States; the federal government still officially calls it Washington's Birthday.
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