President’s Day: What’s the Occasion for the Celebration?

McKenzie Clarke, News Editor|February 20, 2017

Presidents’ Day is a day many Americans love simply for its gift of a three-day weekend, but how many of us know the history tucked behind this holiday?

“I don’t really know why we celebrate President’s Day, but the three day weekend is nice,” stated junior Diamond Bradley.

The inspiration for Presidents’ Day can be traced back to America’s most celebrated forefather George Washington.

For a long time, his birthday, which was on February 22nd, served as an unofficial day of remembrance. Former president Rutherford B. Hayes changed that, however, when he signed it into law in as a national holiday in 1879.

You can thank the Uniform Monday Holiday Act for your extended weekend. Passed into law in the 1960s, this act moved several federal holidays from their original dates to a series of predetermined Mondays. Presidents’ Day was then moved to the third Monday in February.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act also created space for the celebration of former president Abraham Lincoln. His birthday fell on February 12th.

In fact, Presidents’ Day does not actually fall on the birthday of any president in the nation’s history, lending it to be a commemoration period for both presidents.

George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays fall within the month of February, as do William Henry Harrison’s and Ronald Reagan’s.

 

“I think it a great day to remember the men [who] have led our country, to be thankful for the freedoms we now have. And, it’s a great three-day weekend,” stated Justin Smith, English teacher.

Others have favorite presidents in addition to Washington and Lincoln.

“My favorite president is Andrew Jackson because he was the first president that figured out how to get all of America’s debt paid off,” said Gracyn Blake, junior.

President’s Day became the first holiday dedicated to any individual.

On a less serious note, senior Leilani Nieves enjoys the humorous stories about the presidents, especially the ones that teach lessons, even unintended ones.

“William Howard Taft is my favorite president because he got stuck in a bathtub. It just goes to show that even when life gets you stuck, it makes for a really funny story,” Nieves said.

If you are “stuck” with nothing to do on your day off Monday, maybe you should learn about the rich history of our presidents.

The History Channel’s U.S. Presidents Gallery offers information and videos about the first 44 presidents of the United States. Go to: http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents.