The federal holiday today — the reason there is no mail delivery — is Washington’s Birthday.*
If there had been a calendar on the wall the day George Washington was born, it would have read February 11, 1731. In 1752, Britain and her colonies converted from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, the calendar we use today. The change added 11 days and designated January rather than March as the beginning of the year. Accordingly, Washington’s birthday became February 22, 1732.
The federal holiday was celebrated on February 22 from its approval in 1879** until legislation in 1968 designated the third Monday of February the official day to celebrate Washington’s birthday. In 1971, when the 1968 Act went into effect, President Nixon proclaimed the holiday Presidents’ Day, to commemorate all past presidents, not just Washington and Lincoln. This was never intended or authorized by Congress; even so, it gained a strong hold on the public consciousness.
The states are not obliged to adopt federal holidays, which only affect federal offices and agencies. While most states have adopted Washington’s Birthday, a dozen of them officially celebrate Presidents’ Day. A number of the states that celebrate Washington’s Birthday also recognize Lincoln’s Birthday as a separate legal holiday.
The New Yorker’s Hendrik Hertzberg has more and there is a history of the making of the holiday in By George, IT IS Washington’s Birthday!.
14 weeks until the next holiday.
* There is no state holiday today in New Mexico. The state chooses to celebrate Presidents’ Day the day after Thanksgiving.
** Washington’s Birthday was the fifth federal holiday. Only New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day preceded it.
This year, Mack has had heated “discussions” with both his teacher and his school librarian on this issue.
Neither one believed him when he said that Presidents’ Day was a dumb, made-up name.
You’d think in Virginia, of all places, we could get this one right.
Glad we all get a paid holiday on behalf of a long-lost president. But it makes me wonder- can we as an economy afford to celebrate these days during such hard times? Don’t get me wrong I think Washington is one of the greatest leaders of our time and I mean no disrespect but we need the $$ right now!