The History Behind Presidents' Day

Have you ever wondered about the background information regarding some Federal reserve holidays? With Presidents’ Day coming up this Monday we thought we’d take a dive into this American Federal holiday to find out what it’s all about! 

Presidents’ Day, officially President George Washington’s birthday was originally established in 1885 to specifically honor our first president of the United States. Today, we use the day to honor all persons who have served in the office of the President of the United States. 

President Rutherford B. Hayes was the first President to write Washington’s birthday into law as a holiday. Almost 100 years later, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act officially changed Presidents’ Day to fall on the third Monday in February rather than February 22, which is George Washington’s official birthday. This same Act also proposed that President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (official birthday February 12) and President George Washington’s birthdays were celebrated on the same day - hence the Presidents’ Day as we know it today. 

Various states across the country actually use different titles for the holiday including Washington’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, President’s Day, Presidents Day, and Washington and Lincoln’s Birthday. In Virginia, the official name for the holiday is “George Washington Day.” 

Presidents’ Day, like Independence Day, is traditionally viewed as a time of patriotic celebration and remembrance. It is also known for being one of the most popular “sale” days in the retail work as marketers have jumped on the opportunity to play up the three-day weekend with sale and “Presidents’ Day” bargains.

Read more about the history behind Presidents’ Day here! We hope you enjoy the long weekend!