Why Do We Celebrate Presidents' Day?

image
Author: Lucas Eaves
Created: 18 Feb, 2013
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Presidents' Day, also celebrated as Washington's Birthday, is a holiday celebrated in honor of the first President of the United States and his successors.

Originally celebrated on February 22, Washington's actual date of birth, it was changed in the 1970's to the third Monday of February to give employees a three day weekend, making the holiday impossible to fall on Washington's birthday.

The change of date led many to believe that the holiday was now celebrating Washington as well as Lincoln -- who was also born in February -- consecrating the new appellation, Presidents' Day.

The following infographic, created by Veterans United Home Loans, gives a brief history of Presidents's Day and the small anecdotes surrounding it.

Credit: Veteran United Home Loan

Pres

Latest articles

Young person voting.
2024 Recap: Lessons Learned from the Successes and Failures of Statewide Primary Reform
In 2024, a historic number of statewide initiatives appeared on the ballot to open primary elections to all voters and candidates. Most of the initiatives failed, but reformers were successful in Washington DC. ...
19 Dec, 2024
-
2 min read
Picture of the US Capitol Building with American flags in front of it.
Declining Voter Turnout and Rising Costs Highlight Problems with Runoff Elections, New Report Finds
A new report shows that runoff elections are not only expensive, but in 2024 were less effective than in any other election in modern history at providing adequate representation. ...
17 Dec, 2024
-
2 min read
Reformers at NANR's 8th annual summit in San Diego, California.
Down, But Not Out: Nonpartisan Election Reformers Maintain Their Resolve
Nonpartisan election reformers have chosen not to hang their head in defeat after a few statewide losses in 2024. Instead, their mood was surprisingly optimistic when they met in San Diego for the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers’ annual summit....
16 Dec, 2024
-
4 min read