Celebrate George Washington’s Birthday, Not Presidents’ Day

Today is a federal holiday. That holiday is not “Presidents’ Day.” No such holiday exists in law. It is George Washington’s birthday.

Washington’s birthday has been celebrated since he was encamped with our first army at Valley Forge in 1778. It first became an official state holiday in Massachusetts in 1856, and a federal holiday in 1879. Since the 1968 passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which subordinated historical accuracy to the preferences of federal workers for three-day weekends, Washington’s birthday has been celebrated on the third Monday of February, which never falls on his actual birthday of February 22.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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Today is a federal holiday. That holiday is not “Presidents’ Day.” No such holiday exists in law. It is George Washington’s birthday.

Washington’s birthday has been celebrated since he was encamped with our first army at Valley Forge in 1778. It first became an official state holiday in Massachusetts in 1856, and a federal holiday in 1879. Since the 1968 passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which subordinated historical accuracy to the preferences of federal workers for three-day weekends, Washington’s birthday has been celebrated on the third Monday of February, which never falls on his actual birthday of February 22.