Presidents’ Day: The Two Birthdays of George Washington
This Monday marks Presidents’ Day in the United States, celebrating the birthdays of George Washington, the country’s first president. However, there’s some confusion about the actual date of his birth.
Americans have been celebrating Presidents’ Day on the third Monday of February for more than 50 years, even though Washington’s actual birth date is February 22. This discrepancy is due to the fact that Washington’s birthday has been celebrated on two different dates, a unique situation that arose during his presidency.
Washington was initially born on February 11, 1732, according to the Julian calendar in use at the time. However, when England and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, his birthday was moved to February 22. This was because the Gregorian calendar added a day every four years as a leap day to synchronize with the solar year.
During his presidency, Americans celebrated Washington’s birthday on both dates. However, in 1885, February 22 was established as a holiday for Washington’s birthday. This changed in 1968 when Congress debated whether to combine the celebrations of Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, the latter being born on February 12.
Ultimately, this led to the Holiday Monday Law, which placed most holidays on Mondays to give Americans three-day weekends. As a result, Washington’s birthday was moved to the third Monday in February, which became known as Presidents’ Day.
While most states now celebrate Presidents’ Day, not all do. Some, like Virginia, still celebrate Washington Day, while others include both Washington and Lincoln in their celebration of the holiday.
So, while Americans might be celebrating Presidents’ Day, the story of George Washington’s two birthdays is a fascinating piece of history that adds a unique twist to the holiday.