The federal holiday of Washington’s Day originated to offer special recognition
to President George Washington, America’s first President, but would soon
come to encompass a broader meaning in recognition for Abraham Lincoln and great
leaders elect of our nation.
The date of recognition was chosen to commemorate the birthday of George Washington
which was February 11th of 1731 according to the Julian calendar. Britain shifted
to the use of the Gregorian calendar and so shifted everyone’s birthday
by jumping ahead the sum of 11 days, which now left George Washington with the
new birthday celebration on February 22 and gave a new date to President’s
Day. In 1885 President Chester Arthur signed a bill declaring George Washington’s
birthday of February 22nd a federal holiday.
The date confusion was only a minor glitch and easily compensated for until
Abraham Lincoln came along; another great president in deserving of recognition
and as luck would have it another February birthday as well. Although Lincoln’s
birthday was never to be declared a federal holiday, it did become recognized
as one of significance at the state level where many of the governments observed
February 12th as a legal holiday.
A bill was passed in 1968 to change several of the federal holidays to make
things a bit easier on the calendar schedules of federal employee’s observance
of holidays. Moving several of the declared holidays to the Mondays of a specific
week, three day weekends promote easier schedule accommodations for the observance.
In the case of President’s Day observance, it is held on the third Monday
of the February calendar. |
|
|
