Americans enjoy a handful of federal holiday every yr , and most of them have relatively straightforward definition . Veterans Day honour military service . The Fourth of July acknowledges the country ’s independence . But President of the United States Day is something of a mystery .
adverse to popular belief , it ’s not a catch - all vacation meant to celebrate the presidents . In fact , it does n’t lawfully exist at all . It ’s technically known asWashington ’s Birthday at thefederal point , andAbraham Lincoln , make bold to be part of the honor , does n’t haveanythingto do with it .
Beginning in 1968 , Congress took a second expression at federal holidays with the Uniform Monday Holidays Act , which proposed letting holidays fall on a Monday to give employees a three - day weekend . While there was little opposition to what was clearly a starring idea , lawmakers were less enthused about switching Washington ’s Birthday from February 22 — which was celebrated begin in 1879 and would now be move to the third Monday of February — to the all - inclusive President ’s Day . The vacation officially remained Washington ’s , though some state and local governments use the President ’s Day label .
So what happened to Lincoln ? Should n’t the prexy who efficaciously stop slavery and helped gain the Civil War be granted a calendar testimonial to call his own ? masses have tried . Inthe 1870s , a shopkeeper and Lincoln lover named Julius Francis tried to rally lawgiver to acknowledge Lincoln . New York , along with a few other states , agree , but Congress did n’t . At the clip , the country was still divided , with the South bitter over Lincoln ’s triumph . by and by on , item-by-item statesreserveda date for his natal day on February 12 . By 1940 , 24 states and the District of Columbia marked their calendar for Lincoln . But many , like California , permit it to phase out . Another vacation so near toMartin Luther King Jr. Day in January and Washington ’s Birthday in February seemed like one too many .
So whether you call it President Day , President ’s Day , or Presidents ’ twenty-four hour period — there seems to be no officialapostrophe position , likely because it ’s actually not an prescribed label — be aware that it ’s really all about Washington . It ’s also an excellent time to purchase amattress .
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A rendering of this narration originally ran in 2020 ; it has been updated for 2025 .
