A Little History Lesson on Your Day Off

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their day off on this Presidents Day, but what exactly is Presidents Day?

The federal holiday was originally implemented by the United States Congress in 1880 for government offices in the District of Columbia and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices. As the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen, the holiday was celebrated on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.

The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the "President's Day National Committee" was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California, who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular President, but to honor the office of the Presidency.

On 1 January 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February. This date places it between February 15 and 21, which makes the name "Washington's Birthday" untrue, since it never lands on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents Day" began its public appearance. Although Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, approximately a dozen state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday observances as "Presidents Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other designations.

So let’s not forget why exactly were off today. Let’s remember Washington and the presidency in general, and of course enjoy that day off