Happy Presidents’ Day 2017 / George Washington day 2017! On February 20 We all celebrate the contributions of our elected leaders of the free world have made to the United States.
2. PresidentsDay 2017, officiallyWashington’s Birthday, in
the UnitedStates, is a federal holidayobservedon the third
Mondayof February in honorof George Washington (born on
February 22), the first President of the UnitedStates. The
holidayis popularlyrecognizedasalso honoringAbraham
Lincoln (born on February 12), and sometimes all the U.S.
presidents.
3. What is Presidents'Day?
President's Dayis the popular and commonly used name for the United
States federal holidayofficiallycalled Washington's Birthday. It is
celebratedannuallyon the third Mondayof February.
President's Dayhonors and celebratesthe life and achievementsof George
Washington, the first Presidentof the United States (1789-1797)and 'The
Father of his Country'. The day is, in practice, often used to honor and
rememberall past US presidents, and in particular Washington, Abraham
Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.
President's Daywas created in 1879, first celebrated the following year. It
wasoriginally held on Washington's actual birthday (February 22). In 1971
this waschanged to the third Mondayof February. It wasthe first federal
holidayto be created in honor of an American citizen.
4. Dates for Presidents' Day from 2017to 2025
Presidents' Day 2017 February 20, 2017 Monday
Presidents' Day 2018 February 19, 2018 Monday
Presidents' Day 2019 February 18, 2019 Monday
Presidents' Day 2020 February 17, 2020 Monday
Presidents' Day 2021 February 15, 2021 Monday
Presidents' Day 2022 February 21, 2022 Monday
Presidents' Day 2023 February 20, 2023 Monday
Presidents' Day 2024 February 19, 2024 Monday
Presidents' Day 2025 February 17, 2025 Monday
5. GEORGE
WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY
Although George Washington’s birthday is
celebratedon February 22, it is observedas a
federal holidayon the third Mondayof
February. To complicate matters,
Washington was actuallyborn on February
11 in 1731! Howcan that be?
During Washington’s lifetime, people in
Great Britain and America switched from
the Julian to the Gregorian calendar
(something most of Europe had done in
1582). As a result of this calendarreform,
people born before 1752 were told to add 11
daysto their birth dates.
6. Those born between January 1 and March 25,
as Washington was,also had to add one year
to be in sync with the new calendar. By the
time Washington became president in 1789,
he celebrated his birthday on February 22
and listed his year of birth as 1732.
Upon entering office, Washington was not
convinced that he was the right man for the
job. He wrote, “My movements to the chair of
government will be accompanied by feelings
not unlike those of a culprit who is going to
the place of his execution.” Fortunately for
the young country, he waswrong.
7. History
In 1879, it wasoriginally implemented by an Act of Congressfor Washington
government offices as a federal holiday. It expanded to includeall federaloffices
in 1885. It was first celebratedon Washington's birthday, February 22. Then in
1971 it changed to the third Mondayof February. The first attempt to change the
holidayto President's Daycame in 1951 when the "President's DayNational
Committee" wasformed. The purpose was to honor the office of the Presidency,
not a particular President. It was not until the mid-1980'sdid the "President's
Day" term appear in public.
8. DID YOU KNOW?
If you think that George Washington
chopped down a cherry tree and then
admitted his wrongdoing by saying to
his father, “I cannot tell a lie,” think
again. He didn’t say it; he didn’t even
chop down the tree! Parson Mason
Weems (1759–1825),one of
Washington’s biographers, madeup
the story hoping to demonstrate
Washington’s honesty.
This tale is not the only myth about
Washington. His wooden dentures?
Theyweren’t madeof wood. Instead,
they were made of hippopotamus
teeth that had been filed down to fit
Washington’s mouth.
