On February 17, 2025, we’ll be celebrating “Washington’s Birthday,” which is the official title of the federally acknowledged vacation. Go to the Nationwide Archives web site to be taught extra about our data associated to George Washington—and different U.S. Presidents. This publish was initially printed in 2015.
George Washington led the Continental Military in the course of the Revolutionary Conflict, presided over the Constitutional Conference, and served as the primary President of america. He’s recognized, fairly rightfully, because the Father of our Nation.
Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1731, based on the then-used Julian calendar. In 1752 Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, which moved Washington’s birthday a 12 months and 11 days.
That places Washington’s birthday on February 22, 1732.
People have lengthy celebrated Washington’s birthday. The centennial of his beginning in 1832 was marked by nationwide celebrations, festivals, and parades. Congress even established a committee to rearrange for the event and adjourned from February 21 to 23 to take part within the festivities.
On January 31, 1879, Congress added February 22 to the listing of holidays to be noticed by federal workers within the District of Columbia. Congress later prolonged the vacation to all federal authorities workers, together with these exterior the Washington, DC, space.
Washington’s Birthday was celebrated on February 22 till effectively into the twentieth century. In 1968, nonetheless, Congress handed the Uniform Monday Vacation Act to “present uniform annual observances of sure authorized public holidays on Mondays.” By creating extra three-day weekends, Congress hoped to “carry substantial advantages to each the religious and financial lifetime of the Nation.”
One of many provisions on this act modified the observance of Washington’s Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February. Mockingly, this assured that the vacation would by no means be celebrated on Washington’s precise birthday, because the third Monday in February can’t fall any later than February 21.
June 28, 1968. Nationwide Archives Identifier 353683791
The act additionally moved Memorial Day to the final Monday in Might, Labor Day to the primary Monday in September, Columbus Day to the second Monday in October, and Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October (though resulting from nationwide outcry, Congress returned Veterans Day to November 11 starting in 1978—a day traditionally often called Armistice Day, when World Conflict I ended).
George Washington’s Birthday continues to be celebrated as a federal vacation on the third Monday in February. Whereas some states rejoice February 22 as “Presidents Day,” the official federal vacation continues to be often called Washington’s Birthday.
Comfortable Washington’s Birthday!
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