Presidents Day 2020
Quote of the Day
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” Walt Whitman
Presidents Day 2020 is celebrated on Monday, February 17th in the United States.
This holiday is legally designated as “Washington’s Birthday”. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is the federal government’s policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
This Federal Holiday honors the USA’s first president, George Washington, whose birthday is February 22 and all presidents of the United States.
Many states show special recognition to Abraham Lincoln as his birthday was also in mid-February. Schools often organize events and lessons about United States presidents in the days leading up to this holiday. It’s also a popular day for stores to start their spring sales.
Background
George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. His first term as president was from 1789 to 1793 and his second term from 1793 to 1797. Before he became president, he played important roles in the military, leading the American Continental Army to victory over the British in 1783.
The likeness and name of George Washington can still be seen in many places in the United States. There is a portrait of him and three other American presidents carved into Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. His image is also used on the one-dollar bill and the quarter-dollar coin. The capital of the United States, Washington D.C., Washington State and at least three universities bear his name. On the local level, there are cities and counties across the U.S. bearing his name.
Washington’s Birthday was first celebrated as a holiday in the District of Columbia in 1880. It was made a federal holiday in 1885. The holiday was originally held on the anniversary of George Washington’s birth, on February 22. In 1971, this holiday was moved to the third Monday in February.
Suggested Presidents Day Reading
A Psychological/Conspiracy Thriller
Sydney Jones walks a fine line when taking on a new case. As facts come to surface, she becomes immersed in the underworld of international crime. Should she continue knowing it is cloaked in political suspense? And, does she have a choice?
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Carolyn M. Bowen, Author 