Why We Celebrate President's Day

Why We Celebrate President's Day 

Every third Monday in February we celebrate President’s Day.  To the average American and the men and women of the military, this means a day off work and taking advantage of great sales at our favorite stores. 

But, did you know this day was created to recognize the birth of a single founding father, George Washington? 

The Father of Our Nation

We’ve all heard of George Washington, the first President of the United States who crossed the Delaware and was known for his unwavering character. We retell the folk story of the young boy chopping down a cherry tree and repeat his infamous words, “I cannot tell a lie.”

What we know for sure is that President Washington was a soldier, a successful entrepreneur, and a statesman. On April 30, 1789, he became the first president of the United States by unanimous electoral votes —the first and only president to have entered office with this kind of universal support.

Washington’s Birthday

Washington inspired the people of the United States. Each year they held community celebrations on February 22nd — the birthday of their commander-in-chief and first president.  The President, however,  disliked these celebrations and did not feel a need to honor himself in this way. 

He was said to have spent most of his birthdays conducting business at his office at Mount Vernon.  In 1879, eighty years after his passing, President Rutherford B. Hayes declared February 22nd a federal holiday dubbed “Washington’s Birthday.”

Moving to a Monday

Today the holiday is eagerly looked forward to for one major reason — it’s a 3-day weekend.  Offering more long weekends to federal workers was the reason behind The Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by Congress in 1968. The act moved Washington’s Birthday from February 22nd to the third Monday in February, giving us one more long weekend to enjoy. 

 With that change, the holiday now usually falls between the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln resulting in many to include both presidents in the holiday. Diluting the day even more, the name “President’s Day” was suggested. Despite never being formally adopted, advertising campaigns made it the popular way to refer to the holiday and that is how it is referred to today.

Recognizing the Leaders of our Country

So who do we celebrate on what is officially known as Washington’s Birthday but is more commonly called President's Day? Is it simply a historical footnote of our first president or does it mean more?  President's Day serves as a reminder that leadership, in its various forms, is essential for progress and unity. Yes, we should honor the historical figures we call our founding fathers. We must also acknowledge our personal civic responsibility to strengthen the enduring ideals of democracy.

Celebrate the Day!

Today this Monday holiday has evolved into community celebrations with reenactments and parades combined with special discounts and promotions from retailers — a blending of tradition and modernity making the day relevant to all. Falling on February 19th this year, fly your flags high, enjoy this 3-day weekend with your family and friends, and take a moment for the past leaders of our nation with a special nod to the first father of our country, George Washington.

Thank you for reading, United We Stand.

Anna, Author
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