Did you know that the third Monday in February is officially George Washington's Birthday? Of course, his real birthday is February 22 and that date had been celebrated at least since 1832 and declared a legal federal holiday in 1879.
So why the confusion?
In a 1971 federal bill intended to consolidate holidays and give Americans three day weekends, Washington's Birthday was moved to a Monday. Attempts to rename the holiday to Presidents' Day (to include Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12) failed, but it didn't deter many states and merchants from embracing the new designation. In fact, all presidents - past and present - are frequently honored on this day.
(As an interesting aside: There are two other presidents with February birthdays: William Harrison, February 9, and Ronald Reagan, February 6.)
Have a wonderful holiday! But take a moment to think about the men who've helped us carve our history.
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