Monday, February 19, is Washington’s Birthday, a national holiday in the United States in honor of the country’s first president, George Washington.
Or is it?
To be clear, it really depends on whom you ask. In reality, the holiday has no agreed-upon name and there is no universal agreement as to who is being honored, aside from George Washington. Oh, and there’s that pesky question about an apostrophe.
First, a quick review: George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, although on the day he was born, the calendar said it was February 11, 1731. The reason for this is simple: In 1752, Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar and that moved Washington’s date of birth one year and 11 days.
Washington’s actual birthday, February 22, was first declared a federal holiday in 1879 by an act of Congress. In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act – which created multiple three-day weekends via a move to Monday holidays – shifted the observance from February 22 to the third Monday in February, to be effective starting in 1971. This change meant that the holiday now never falls on Washington’s actual birthday.
No other national holiday in the United States is this unclear as to what its name or purpose is.
Many people refer to the Monday holiday as Presidents, President’s, or Presidents’ Day because it comes shortly after the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, a holiday observed in many states, on February 12. There is little agreement on 1.) whether there is an apostrophe at all and 2.) whether the placement of the apostrophe, if present, is before the “s” (hence genitive singular) or after it (genitive plural).
Here’s the lowdown on naming: The federal government continues to call it Washington’s Birthday. Some states honor both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on the Monday holiday, while others honor Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but not Lincoln. Lincoln’s home state of Illinois continues to observe his birthday as a holiday on February 12.
In Washington’s home state, Virginia, the holiday is referred to as George Washington’s Day. Alabama calls it Washington and Jefferson Day, even though Jefferson’s birthday isn’t until April.
And yes, there will be a quiz at the end of the period.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
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