By Pete Gawda
Presidents Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February. This year, it falls on Feb. 16. Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday, observed by the U.S. government.
The holiday originally started as a celebration of George Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22. In 1879, Washington’s Birthday was established as a federal holiday. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 moved the holiday to the third Monday in February.
During the debate on the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, there was a suggestion to rename the holiday “Presidents’ Day” to honor both Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is Feb. 12. However, according to Britannica.com, Congress did not approve a joint holiday.
Despite the actions of Congress, many states began to honor both Washington and Lincoln on the third Monday in February. According to the website officeholidays.com, 34 states now have a state holiday called Presidents Day, with the apostrophe before or after the “s” depending on the state, or they name both Washington and Lincoln in the title of the holiday.
In addition, some states, such as Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey and New York, celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday as a separate holiday on Feb. 12.
