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 The
City of Burbank
Celebrates
Presidents Day
President's Day is the third Monday in February! This holiday was created to
celebrate the deeds of two legendary American Presidents: George Washington
and Abraham Lincoln.
History of the Holiday
The original version of the holiday was in commemoration of George
Washington's birthday in 1796 (the last full year of his presidency).
Washington, according to the calendar that has been used since at least the
mid-18th century, was born on February 22, 1732. According to the old style
calendar in use back then, however, he was born on February 11. At least in
1796, many Americans celebrated his birthday on the 22nd while others marked
the occasion on the 11th instead.
By the early 19th century, Washington's Birthday had taken firm root in the
American experience as a bona fide national holiday. Its traditions included
Birth night Balls in various regions, speeches and receptions given by
prominent public figures, and a lot of revelry in taverns throughout the
land. Then along came Abraham Lincoln, another revered president and fellow
February baby (born on the 12th of the month). The first formal observance
of his birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination, when
both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln's
Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington's, it did
become a legal holiday in several states.
In 1968, legislation (HR 15951) was enacted that affected several federal
holidays. One of these was Washington's Birthday, the observation of which
was shifted to the third Monday in February each year whether or not it fell
on the 22nd. This act, which took effect in 1971, was designed to simplify
the yearly calendar of holidays and give federal employees some standard
three-day weekends in the process.
Apparently, while the holiday in February is still officially known as
Washington's Birthday (at least according to the Office of Personnel
Management), it has become popularly (and, perhaps in some cases at the
state level, legally) known as "President's Day." This has made the third
Monday in February a day for honoring both Washington and Lincoln, as well
as all the other men who have served as president.
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