Federal commemoration of the
birth of George Washington, a revolutionary war hero and the first
President of the United States, began in 1880 in the District of
Columbia. It was originally celebrated on his actual birthday,
February 22, but the holiday was changed to the third Monday in
February in 1971.
The bill defining the third
Monday in February was originally going to change the name of the
holiday to Presidents' Day (adding a commemoration of Abraham
Lincoln to the holiday) - but Congress voted against the change.
Advertisers didn't let that stop them from unofficially declaring
the holiday Presidents' Day and while you'll find many calendars
with this designation, section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United
States Code specifies "Washington's Birthday" as the correct
moniker. Today, many public schools use "Presidents' Day" to teach
children about both Washington and Lincoln.
