On Monday, February 16th, many Americans will have the day off because of Presidents Day. Presidents Day is the popular name for the holiday, but it is not the official name. Federal law calls the third Monday in February, Washington’s Birthday. George Washington was born on February 22nd.
Most Americans think that Presidents Day also connects to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was born on February 12th. Lincoln’s birthday is perhaps a suitable candidate for a national holiday, but it has never been enacted at the federal level. There has always been a sense that the number of federal holidays should be limited and spaced out evenly on the calendar; Lincoln would be too close in time to Washington. And in 1879, when Washington’s Day was created, the idea of Lincoln’s Day would have created a rift in the country. Of former presidents, only Washington was embraced by all corners of the nation at that time.
Ironically, the third Monday of February could never fall on Washington’s or Lincoln’s actual birthdays. Nevertheless, in 1968, Congress determined that certain federal holidays should always be on Monday. This included Washington’s birthday. At the time, Washington’s birthday was the only birthday-related national holiday (except for Christmas, of course). The desire for a three-day weekend for federal workers evidently outweighed the desire for historical precision. Washington’s Birthday was made to work like Memorial Day and Labor Day, which is to say always observed on a Monday, and not the more date-specific holidays like the Fourth of July. (As an aside, Veterans groups have long lobbied for Veterans Day to stay November 11th and not be moved to the second Monday in November, which would further sever the holiday from its World War I origins the way that Presidents Day has been severed from its George Washington origins.).
The regular observance of the holiday on the third Monday allowed reframing it as a celebration of the undoubted two best American presidents, Washington and Lincoln. The third Monday always falls between the birthdays of these iconic presidents. Hence, “Presidents Day” entered our national vernacular, and it is rightfully associated with Washington and Lincoln in the public mind. But with the Presidents Day characterization, Americans may reflect upon not just the “big two” but also other American presidents who are worth celebrating. They need not have been born in February.
An honest assessment of the holiday would conclude that most Americans do not think deeply about the significance of Presidents Day. We do not have the kind of civic rituals surrounding Presidents Day that we do for other civic holidays. If we think about Presidents Day at all in our polarized times, it is likely with reference to the occupant of the office at the time. Some will then conclude that the day is ridiculous because the person in office does not measure up to Washington or Lincoln. We also occasionally hear that the holiday does not make sense given that all presidents are not equally worthy of celebration, as many presidents were ineffective, scandalous, or worse. This is persuasive.
But Americans can celebrate what the presidency represents. The president is the only elected officeholder for the whole nation. Our nation has had 47 presidents, and power has transferred from president to president as a result of mostly-smooth elections, not violence. As we approach America’s 250th birthday, we can admit, not all presidents have been good leaders, but they have all achieved office through lawful means, and they have all been limited by the Constitution’s set term. As we approach this monumental anniversary, we can proudly say no one has achieved the presidency through violence or stayed in office beyond his lawful term. This is a rare and significant national accomplishment. On Presidents Day, we celebrate our best presidents, but we also celebrate America.
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Dr. James Todd, associate professor of politics and chair of Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Department of Politics, teaches American government and politics, political science research methods, and more. He specializes in American governmental institutions and constitutional law.