Happy President’s day!!!
What use to be known as Washington’s Birthday, in honor of George Washington, our first president, is now known as President’s Day. Washington’s B-Day is Feb. 22 and Lincoln’s B-Day is Feb 12, the day was renamed to honor both of them as well as honoring the office of the presidency.
According to Wikipedia “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.”
Wiki also list some facts about President’s Day we didn’t know:
- In Massachusetts, the state officially celebrates “Washington’s Birthday” on the same day as the Federal holiday. State law also directs the governor to issue an annual “Presidents Day” proclamation on May 29 honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge, and John F. Kennedy.
- Alabama uniquely observes the day as “Washington and Jefferson Day”, even though Thomas Jefferson’s birthday is in April.
- In Connecticut, Missouri and Illinois, while Washington’s Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.
- In Washington’s home state of Virginia, the holiday is legally known as “George Washington Day.”
- Most corporations were closed on this day until the 1980′s
- Federal and state governments are closed
- It’s another way to honor the country’s veterans
- In Arkansas the third Monday in February is “George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day,” an official state holiday.
- In New Mexico Presidents Day, at least as a state government paid holiday, is observed on the Friday followingThanksgiving
Have a safe holiday.