Little Known Facts about President’s Day

Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of February. While it is commonly acknowledge as a celebration of the country’s full history of Commanders-in-Chief, the holiday itself is most closely related to the birthdays of revered leaders George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who both made profound contributions to the nation’s history. Coincidentally, the February date was set as both of the former presidents’ birthdays happened to fall within the same month.

But, how much do you really know about this time honored American celebration? Here are a few little known facts about the holiday that we've come to know as Presidents’ Day:

• Presidents’ Day originated as a commemoration of the birthday of the first President of the United States, George Washington.
• On official records, the federal holiday is listed as Washington’s birthday, but certain states have adopted the popular moniker of “Presidents’ Day” to honor all of the nations past leaders.
• Instead of just celebrating Presidents’ Day on a single day, Washington's hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, hosts a month-long tribute to the historic figure.
• The name Presidents’ Day is often misspelled as President’s Day, which actually refers to a singular president as opposed to the larger group of former leaders.
• The United States postal service does not deliver mail on Presidents’ Day.
• The celebration of Presidents’ Day has become well associated with shopping and seasonal sales, as many stores try and market to the influx of consumers that happen to have the day off from work or school.
• In some states the holiday is actually still known as Washington’s Birthday.
• The first known observance of this holiday occurred while Washington was still in office as president.

No matter how you choose to celebrate the day, take the time to share these fun facts with friends and family. You’d be surprised to learn that despite the popularity of the holiday, very few people know the true meaning and history behind its celebration.