Presidents' Day

Presidents' Day
the third Monday in February, a legal holiday in the U.S., commemorating the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

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▪ United States holiday
officially  Washington's Birthday 

      in the United States, holiday (third Monday in February) popularly recognized as honouring George Washington (Washington, George) and Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln, Abraham). The day is sometimes understood as a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents.

      The origin of Presidents' Day lies in the 1880s, when the birthday of Washington—commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States (presidency of the United States of America)—was first celebrated as a federal holiday. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. The change was designed to schedule certain holidays so that workers had a number of long weekends throughout the year, but it has been opposed by those who believe that those holidays should be celebrated on the dates they actually commemorate. During debate on the bill, it was proposed that Washington's Birthday be renamed Presidents' Day to honour the birthdays of both Washington (February 22) and Lincoln (February12); although Lincoln's birthday was celebrated in many states, it was never an official federal holiday. Following much discussion, Congress rejected the name change. After the bill went into effect in 1971, however, Presidents' Day became the commonly accepted name, due in part to retailers' use of that name to promote sales and the holiday's proximity to Lincoln's birthday. Presidents' Day is usually marked by public ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Presidents Day — may refer to:* Presidents Day (Botswana), a holiday in Botswana on July 19 * Presidents Day (United States), a federal holiday in the United States on the third Monday of February …   Wikipedia

  • Presidents' Day — a US public holiday on the third Monday in February, which celebrates the birthdays of Presidents George ↑Washington and Abraham ↑Lincoln …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Presidents' Day — Presidents ,Day a public holiday in the U.S. on the third Monday of February, when people remember the birthdays of presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Presidents' Day — n. in several States, a legal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February: cf. WASHINGTON S BIRTHDAY …   English World dictionary

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  • Presidents' Day — noun the third Monday in February; commemorates both presidents Lincoln and Washington • Regions: ↑United States, ↑United States of America, ↑America, ↑the States, ↑US, ↑U.S., ↑USA, ↑U.S.A …   Useful english dictionary

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  • Presidents' Day — UK / US a public holiday in the US on the third Monday of February, when people remember the birthdays of presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington …   English dictionary

  • Presidents'Day — Pres·i·dents Day (prĕzʹĭ dənts, dĕnts) n. The third Monday in February, observed in the United States as a legal holiday in commemoration of the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. * * * …   Universalium

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