Every third Monday in February, the USA celebrates President's Day. Learn about the background and traditions of the holiday and find out which presidents are the center of attention.
George Washington's Birthday was officially celebrated for the first time in the District of Columbia on February 22nd, 1880. In 1885, Washington's Birthday became a public holiday. It was not until 1971 that the US government made the decision that Washington's Birthday would always be celebrated on the third Monday in February as President's Day. The intention was to also honor the 16th President Abraham Lincoln, who was born on February 12th.
Good to know
Actually, George Washington was born on February 11th, 1731, as the Julian calendar was used in the USA until the middle of the 18th century. When the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1752, Washington's birthday shifted by one year and 11 days. Since then, February 22nd, 1732, has been declared his official date of birth.
Although President's Day has been given the status of a federal holiday, it is still officially called Washington's Birthday. The plan to rename it President's Day throughout the entire US territory failed in Congress. However, each of the 50 states is allowed to decide for itself what to call the day.
Consequently, in addition to the names President's Day and Washington's Birthday, other, sometimes more exotic variants exist, e.g., George Washington Day (Virginia, Mississippi), Washington and Lincoln Day (Utah), Recognition of the Birthday of George Washington (North Carolina), or George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day (Arkansas).
Each state also decides for itself whether the day is a school holiday or not. As a result, some schools are open on the third Monday in February, although there are often no regular classes. Instead, small events are held in honor of the presidents, or the presidents are at least discussed during lessons.
George Washington was the first president of the United States of America, governing the country for two terms from 1789 to 1797. Before Washington became head of state of the United States, he fought against France in the Seven Years' War and served as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the American War of Independence.
The ideals and political decisions of the newly formed nation's first president had a decisive influence on the future development of the USA. George Washington thus laid the foundation for the United States of America to grow into the world power we know today.
George Washington: less known facts
The political achievements of George Washington are known all over the world. But have you heard about these details of his private life?
In addition to President's Day, which was established in his honor, Americans also pay tribute to their first president in a variety of other ways:
Many states give special attention to the presidents, and especially George Washington, on President's Day and organize colorful events. But retail has also discovered the day for itself.
Schools are organizing events and lessons for students in the days leading up to President's Day, providing the kids with information about the presidents of the United States. Also, schools and youth groups re-enact important events from George Washington's time during performances, giving their audiences a chance to immerse themselves in 18th-century life.
In George Washington's home state of Virginia, President's Day is celebrated throughout the whole month of February, with many events attended by thousands of Americans. The highlight is always the grand birthday parade in Old Town Alexandria with festive themed floats, musical groups, and horse-drawn carriages.
A visit to Mount Vernon on the Potomac River, where George Washington and his wife Martha lived for 40 years, is a very popular excursion in February.
Although Presidents' Day is a legal holiday in most US states, most businesses are open as usual. Apart from the post office, delivery services offer their usual service, and public transportation also runs according to regular schedules.
Stores hold many special sales on Washington's Birthday, and the day has become a popular occasion for attractive discount promotions. Stores start promoting their offers as early as a few weeks before the holiday. Thus, President's Day has become one of the most important sales days of the year for American shopping centers, along with Christmas and Valentine's Day.
From George Washington to Joe Biden – the USA has been governed by a total of 46 presidents to date. We introduce them all in our extensive presidential portraits. Or would you like to learn more about America at the time of George Washington? Then check out our articles on US history!