A Holiday by Any Other Name is Still Presidents’ Day

Every third Monday in February the nation honors George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and his cousin Teddy, the father-son duos of John and John Quincy Adams and George and George W. Bush,  Benjamin Harrison and his grandpa William Henry, even Millard Fillmore and Warren Harding, during a holiday commonly (though not officially) called Presidents’ Day.

The origins of the President’s Day observance are traced to an 1885 Act of Congress designating Washington’s Birthday as a federal holiday. President Chester Arthur signed the bill into law, which became the first U.S. holiday honoring an American citizen and leader.

In the years following the Civil War, many Americans (living outside the old Confederacy) considered President Abraham Lincoln as one of the nation’s greatest leaders and worthy of a holiday. Many state governments recognized Feb. 12 – Lincoln’s Birthday – as state holidays. However, Congress never passed a bill making it a national observance.

Congress attempted to make amends for this century-long slight to our 16^th President by passing the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on June 28, 1968. One provision of the law changed the observance date for the Washington’s Birthday holiday from his Feb. 22 birth date to the third Monday in February.

The intent of Congress was to honor both Washington and Lincoln during February by creating a new holiday named Presidents’ Day.  However, the proposal to officially change the name from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents’ Day died in a congressional committee. The official event remains Washington’s Birthday, while the common name for the observance is Presidents’ Day.

President Richard Nixon is often credited with proclaiming Presidents’ Day as a holiday honoring all past presidents of the United States, but the source of this statement remains undocumented. In his Executive Order 11582, issued on Feb. 11, 1971, he upheld the existing holiday date passed by Congress and name Washington’s Birthday for future federal observances.

The confusion over the name Presidents’ Day continues to present 2008 holiday observance. The official National Archives Federal Holidays schedule continues to list the event as Washington’s Birthday, but with the following disclaimer: “*This holiday is designated as Washington’s Birthday though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names. It is federal policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.”

President's Day is observed as a holiday by Palm Beach County Government.  The State of Florida does not recognize the event as a holiday for state agencies.  The State of Virginia celebrates George Washington Day.  Alabama observes Washington and Jefferson Day.  Several states still honor Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

Today, Americans have the option of honoring Washington, Lincoln, U.S. Grant, Herbert Hoover, or all of the nation’s former leaders on Presidents’ Day.  Traditionally, the holiday is observed by schools and communities through historical celebrations and presentations honoring the achievements of our presidents.

The Palm Beach County Library System features 12 book titles in its collection about the Presidents Day holiday, as well as many biographical and historical works written about our former presidents and the presidency.