Presidents’ Day, officially Washington’s Birthday under federal law. It is a holiday in the United States and is celebrated on the third Monday in February. It is observed to honour all former presidents of the United States. It’s popularly recognized as honouring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The origin of Presidents’ Day lies in the 1879, when it was first declared as a Federal holiday honouring the nation’s first President and Founding Father George Washington, He also led the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolution War.
When Is Presidents’ Day 2023?
Presidents’ Day 2023 is celebrated this year on February 20. It is celebrated every year on the third Monday of February. It is celebrated to honored and remebered all those who served as Presidents of the United States.
History Of President’s Day
The origin of Presidents’ Day lies in the 1879, when it was first celeberted as a Federal holiday honouring the nation’s first President and Founding Father George Washington, He also led the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolution War. The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the “President’s Day National Committee” was formed but Washington’s Birthday didn’t officially become Presidents’ Day until June 28,1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Monday to increase the number of three-day weekends for workers in what’s known as the Uniform Monday’s Act. The change was designed to schedule certain holidays so that workers had a number of long weekends throughout the year.
Within the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Illinois Sen. Robert McClory proposed the renaming of the holiday to Presidents Day, to also celebrate Lincoln’s birthday, according to History.com. That suggestion was dropped from the proposal. But advertisers latched onto Presidents Day as another date for sales and promotions inflicting scores of fake Georges and Abes on us in their commercials.
It was also the first federal holiday to honor a single person’s birth date; the second, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was signed into law in 1982.
Presidents Day Sales
On the final day of the long weekend, if you feel like some retail therapy than Presidents’ Day Sales could be your thing. As Presidents’ Day sales could never be as large as those on Black Friday, but this year, customers might be able to find some excellent bargains as some companies try to persuade them to buy their overstocked merchandise.
Presidents’ Day became the commonly accepted name, due in part to retailers’ use of that name to promote sales and the holiday’s proximity to Lincoln’s birthday. A lot of the offers this year seem better than they did last year, especially on expensive things that merchants have enough of because cash-strapped customers may have put off buying them.
This Presidents Day weekend, “retailers look more promotional,” according to Jonathan Matuszewski, analyst at investment bank Jefferies, “which we believe is a reflection of consumer dissatisfaction.”
Presidents Day Traditions
Though It’s not just a day for an appliance sale only. There is also lots of traditions involve in it. A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie and other desserts using cherries are eat.
There has been a tradition going on since 1862 in the United States Senate that George Washington’s Farewell Address be read on his birthday.
Alexandria, Virginia and Laredo, Texas hosts a month-long celebrations for presidents’ which concludes with a birthday parade for George Washington. In Florida, a ‘George-Fest’ has taken place every year since 1902.
The presidents who are most widely celebrated on this holiday are George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and it’s followed by Thomas Jefferson.
How do you spell Presidents Day ?
According to the Associated Press style manual, it’s “Presidents Day,” with no punctuation. But the placement of the apostrophe really depends on which state you’re in.
- Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota,Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Washington use Presidents’ Day.
- In Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming, it’s referred to as President’s Day.
- Nevada, New Jersey and Oregon use Presidents Day.
- In Arizona, it’s Lincoln/Washington/Presidents’ Day.
Is Presidents’ Day a Federal Holiday ?
In January 1879, George Washington’s Birthday became the fifth federal holiday created by Congress. So, Since 1879 it has been the federal holiday honoring Founding Father George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War.
Is Presidents’ Day a paid Holiday ?
Presidents’ Day is a paid holiday for the federal government and their employess and for Private sectors it depends on the company.
Are Banks Open On Presidents Day ?
Presidents Day is a bank holiday in the Federal Reserve system. So, most of the banks will be closed. Notably, TD Bank will be open on Monday, Other Banks ATMs and online banking service will be of avaialable.