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President's Day
George Washington
Born : February 22, 1732 at Wakefield, Westmoreland, Virginia
Died: December 14, 1799 at Mount Vernon, Fairfax, Virginia
President: April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797
Abraham Lincoln
Born: February 12, 1809 in Hardin (now Larue) County, Kentucky
Died: April 15, 1865 in Washington, District of Columbia
Presdent: March 4th, 1861 to April 15, 1865
The original version of the holiday was in
commemoration of George Washington's birthday in 1796 (the last full year
of his presidency). Washington, according to the calendar that
has been used since at least the mid-18th century, was born on February
22, 1732. According to the old style calendar in use back then,
however, he was born on February 11. At least in 1796, many
Americans celebrated his birthday on the 22nd while others marked the
occasion on the 11th instead.
By the early 19th century, Washington's Birthday had taken firm root in
the American experience as a bona fide national holiday. Its
traditions included Birthnight Balls in various regions, speeches and
receptions given by prominent public figures, and a lot of revelry in
taverns throughout the land. Then along came Abraham Lincoln,
another revered president and fellow February baby (born on the 12th of
the month). The first formal observance of his birthday took place
in 1865, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress
gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln's Birthday did not
become a federal holiday like George Washington's, it did become a legal
holiday in several states.
In 1968, legislation (HR 15951) was enacted that affected several federal
holidays. One of these was Washington's Birthday, the observation of
which was shifted to the third Monday in February each year whether or not
it fell on the 22nd. This act, which took effect in 1971, was
designed to simplify the yearly calendar of holidays and give federal
employees some standard three-day weekends in the process.
Apparently, while the holiday in February is still officially known as
Washington's Birthday (at least according to the Office of Personnel
Management), it has become popularly (and, perhaps in some cases at the
state level, legally) known as "President's Day." This has
made the third Monday in February a day for honoring both Washington and
Lincoln, as well as all the other men who have served as president.
- ©
2000 MFI2000. All rights reserved.
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