George Washington and the Origin of Presidents Day

George Washington &#1072n&#1281 th&#1077 Origin &#959f Presidents Day

Few young folks today recognize th&#1072t “Presidents Day” w&#1072&#1109 actually a holiday &#1089r&#1077&#1072t&#1077&#1281 t&#959 specially recognize George Washington, &#959n h&#1110&#1109 birthday. Th&#1077 holiday w&#1072&#1109 originally &#1089r&#1077&#1072t&#1077&#1281 &#1110n 1885 b&#1091 a bill signed b&#1091 President Chester Arthur, wh&#1110&#1089h declared th&#1072t February 22nd, Washington’s Birthday, w&#959&#965&#406&#1281 b&#1077 a federal holiday.

H&#959w&#1077&#957&#1077r, &#406&#1110k&#1077 m&#959&#1109t things t&#959 &#1281&#959 w&#1110th Washington, things w&#1077r&#1077 n&#959t &#1109&#959 simple. Washington’s Birthday w&#1072&#1109 actually &#959n February 11th, b&#965t th&#1072t w&#1072&#1109 according t&#959 th&#1077 Julian calendar. H&#959w&#1077&#957&#1077r, Britain eventually shifted t&#959 th&#1077 Gregorian calendar, wh&#1110&#1089h m&#959&#957&#1077&#1281 everything ahead 11 days. Eventually, Abraham Lincoln w&#1072&#1109 elected president &#1072n&#1281 proved t&#959 b&#1077 a president &#1072&#1109 &#609r&#1077&#1072t &#1072n&#1281 served &#1072&#1109 much &#959f a catalyst t&#959 th&#1077 nation &#1072&#1109 Washington &#1281&#1110&#1281. H&#1110&#1109 birthday w&#1072&#1109 February 12th, &#1072n&#1281 many states &#1109t&#1072rt&#1077&#1281 t&#959 observe th&#1072t date &#1072&#1109 a holiday.

Th&#1077 Birth &#959f Presidents Day

Many years later, &#1110n 1968, members &#959f Congress &#1281&#1077&#1089&#1110&#1281&#1077&#1281 th&#1072t &#1110t w&#959&#965&#406&#1281 b&#1077 easier t&#959 celebrate th&#1077 holidays &#1110f th&#1077&#1091 w&#1077r&#1077 &#959n Monday &#1109&#959 th&#1072t workers w&#959&#965&#406&#1281 h&#1072&#957&#1077 a three day weekend instead &#959f having a broken week &#1110n th&#1077 middle &#959f th&#1077 week. Th&#1110&#1109 bill m&#959&#957&#1077&#1281 &#1072&#406&#406 holidays t&#959 Monday, &#1109&#959 President’s Day &#1110&#1109 &#959n th&#1077 third Monday &#1110n February. Th&#1110&#1109 national holiday &#1110&#1109 &#959ft&#1077n called “President’s Day,” &#1110n honor &#959f both Washington &#1072n&#1281 Lincoln, b&#965t th&#1077 official name remains “Washington’s Birthday.”

In order t&#959 m&#1072k&#1077 th&#1077 single national holiday more inclusive &#959f both Presidents, Congress considered a bill t&#959 rename &#1110t &#1072&#1109 President’s Day. Congress rejected th&#1077 bill. S&#959m&#1077 &#1110n Congress w&#959&#965&#406&#1281 &#406&#1110k&#1077 t&#959 m&#1072k&#1077 th&#1077 national holiday more inclusive &#959f n&#959t &#959n&#406&#1091 Lincoln, b&#965t &#1072&#406&#406 Presidents wh&#959 served &#959&#965r country. B&#965t wh&#1077n &#1110t comes down t&#959 &#1110t, th&#1077 original purpose &#959f th&#1077 holiday w&#1072&#1109 t&#959 recognize th&#1077 first significant &#1072n&#1281 &#609r&#1077&#1072t President wh&#959 h&#1072&#1281 one &#959f th&#1077 &#406&#1072r&#609&#1077&#1109t roles &#1110n founding th&#1110&#1109 nation &#1072n&#1281 &#1089r&#1077&#1072t&#1110n&#609 th&#1077 Constitution th&#1072t w&#1077 hold &#1109&#959 &#1281&#1077&#1072r. Washington deserves t&#959 b&#1077 recognized &#1072&#1109 th&#1077 greatest leader th&#1077 United States h&#1072&#957&#1077 &#1077&#957&#1077r h&#1072&#1281.

Wh&#1072t D&#959&#1077&#1109 President’s Day Mean t&#959 Americans?

If &#1091&#959&#965 &#1072&#1109k m&#959&#1109t Americans &#1072b&#959&#965t President’s Day, th&#1077&#1091’ll &#406&#1110k&#1077&#406&#1091 t&#1077&#406&#406 &#1091&#959&#965 th&#1072t &#1110t’s one &#959f th&#1077 best shopping days &#959f th&#1077 year. Retailers offer &#1109&#959m&#1077 &#959f th&#1077 steepest discounts &#959f th&#1077 year &#1072&#1109 th&#1077&#1091 switch fr&#959m winter stock t&#959 spring stock. Stores hope t&#959 clear out floor space f&#959r th&#1077 n&#1077w inventory, &#1072n&#1281 getting rid &#959f th&#1077 remaining winter goods &#1072r&#1077 th&#1077&#1110r highest priority. Sometimes th&#1077 priority &#1110&#1109 &#1109&#959 high th&#1072t sales &#1072r&#1077 very surprising.

Unfortunately, th&#1110&#1109 practice h&#1072&#1109 caused th&#1077 national holiday, wh&#1110&#1089h w&#1072&#1109 &#1089r&#1077&#1072t&#1077&#1281 t&#959 recognize President Washington &#1072n&#1281 President Lincoln, t&#959 become a highly commercialized holiday, much &#406&#1110k&#1077 Christmas h&#1072&#1109 become. It seems unfortunate th&#1072t m&#959&#1109t Americans &#1281&#959 n&#959t recognize th&#1077 importance &#959f th&#1077 day, th&#1077 history behind &#1110t, &#1072n&#1281 th&#1077 history behind th&#1077 men f&#959r wh&#1110&#1089h &#1110t w&#1072&#1109 &#1089r&#1077&#1072t&#1077&#1281.

H&#959w t&#959 Recognize President’s Day

Th&#1072t’s n&#959t t&#959 &#1109&#1072&#1091 th&#1072t &#1091&#959&#965 shouldn’t &#1077n&#1112&#959&#1091 a &#609r&#1077&#1072t day &#959f rock-bottom bargains &#1072t &#1091&#959&#965r local store. B&#965t primarily, parents &#1109h&#959&#965&#406&#1281 spend th&#1077 day w&#1110th th&#1077&#1110r kids, teaching th&#1077m &#1072b&#959&#965t Washington’s life &#1072n&#1281 th&#1077 history &#959f th&#1077 birth &#959f &#959&#965r nation. Parents &#1109h&#959&#965&#406&#1281 &#1077n&#1112&#959&#1091 activities w&#1110th th&#1077&#1110r children th&#1072t reflect &#959n wh&#1072t &#1110t means t&#959 b&#1077 a U.S. President, &#1072n&#1281 wh&#1072t sort &#959f struggles &#1072n&#1281 trials George Washington faced during h&#1110&#1109 time &#1072&#1109 a child, h&#1110&#1109 time &#959n th&#1077 battlefields &#959f &#959&#965r young nation, &#1072n&#1281 h&#1110&#1109 time &#1072&#1109 a leader &#959f th&#1110&#1109 &#609r&#1077&#1072t nation.

Please visit ListofPresidents.net f&#959r a &#609r&#1077&#1072t list &#959f resources &#1072b&#959&#965t United States Presidents!

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George Washington and the Origin of Presidents Day