Presidents Day

Most view today, President's Day, as a much-needed three-day holiday during the winter months. A day in which banks, the post office, NASDAQ, and many schools are closed. The ads, the sales, hmm…, I know what I plan to do today. But what do we know about the origin of President's Day? Oh sure, it's a day we celebrate the black-and-white headshots of a line of stern-looking men––

You know, the guys on our money, who served our country in the office of President. But how did it come to be a federal holiday? 

George Washington was 57 years old when he reluctantly became the first President of this burgeoning republic. Fifty-seven sounds young, especially compared to the octogenarians we elevate to the highest position in the land today. However, George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the eight-year war to establish independence for the American colonists, intended to return home and resume his duties as a gentleman farmer. Some of today's politicians should take the hint about going home, but I digress. 

After Washington attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787, it was clear he was the only man capable of leading this young nation, which consisted of eleven states and roughly 4 million people. He won the election overwhelmingly. John Adams, the second-place finisher, became Vice-President. Ugh, can you imagine if that happened in today's elections? Adams would eventually become the second President after Washington's two terms ended in 1797. Adams was sixty when he beat Thomas Jefferson in a narrow electoral count—Jefferson, who would later become the third President of the United States. 

Now, if you're starting to wonder what all this has to do with President's Day, I'm getting to the point. Following George Washington's death in 1799, the day of his birth, February 22, was established as a day of remembrance. Throughout the 1800s, Washington's birthday was an unofficial holiday until 1879, when Rutherford B. Hayes (one of our more stern-faced, controversial Presidents) signed the official declaration into law. At the time, the holiday only applied to the District of Columbia. It became a federal banking holiday in 1885 throughout the whole country. 

Abraham Lincoln, arguably one of America's most famous presidents's birthday, was born on February 12. His birthday was widely celebrated in his home state of Illinois. The campaign to combine the two dates began in earnest. Much arguing, both pro and con, ensued like most ideas in Washington. It wasn't until 1968 that the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed and took effect in 1971 under the pen of President Richard Nixon. President's Day was moved from February 22 to the third Monday in February. Other holiday dates were moved in accordance to fall on a Monday to reduce employee absenteeism and bolster retail sales. The one exception is Veteran's Day, which, after much hue and cry, remains on November 11, the anniversary of the armistice signing that ended WWI.

So, there you have it, folks, the good, the bad, and the ugly behind a day when we celebrate all of our previous and current Presidents. Or, like most of us, roll over and go back to sleep. You decide.

  So, get your coupons ready, and Happy President's Day!

Fun Fact: George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan were all born in February.