Is it Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday?

You might think of Presidents' Day in the United States as just another three-day weekend in February. Despite the fact that "Presidents' Day" isn't the official name of the holiday, the history behind this important commemorative day is quite interesting.

This question begs the answer: why do we observe Presidents Day?

In 1885, the United States began celebrating the 22nd of February as Presidents Day in honor of the fictional first president and inspiration for the one dollar bill, George Washington. Washington's Birthday is still the official name of the holiday at the federal level. After the legislation was passed and signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1879, Washington's birthday became a federal holiday. When the federal government started recognizing the holiday in 1885, it was the first time an American person was honored with a federally recognized bank holiday. Before that, the holiday was only celebrated in the District of Columbia. The second was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed in 1971, significantly altering the holiday formerly known as Washington's Birthday. This law allowed for more three-day weekends for workers. By law, the holiday was shifted to the third Monday of every February. It was never officially recognized by the federal government. Still, the idea caught on after a newspaper spoof at the time of the bill's signing declared Washington's birthday a day for all presidents.

Even more interesting is that the holiday has different names in different places. Some states celebrate only George Washington on this holiday, while others commemorate both he and Abraham Lincoln (born February 12). However, some states celebrate Presidents' Day in honor of all of their presidents.

Does the Presidents' Day holiday apply to everyone?

Presidents' Day was first made to honor George Washington, but now it is a patriotic holiday celebrating all U.S. presidents. Some states have even chosen to personalize the holiday by adding new figures to the celebration, as reported by the History Channel. For instance, Daisy Gatson Bates, a civil rights activist, and George Washington are both honored in Arkansas. But Alabamians celebrate George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (an April baby) on Presidents Day.

Since nothing says "Presidents' Day" quite like a great deal on a brand-new Toyota, the holiday also provides car dealerships with an excuse to hold weekend-long holiday sales.

Is it necessary to use an apostrophe here?

Presidents' Day is commonly spelled with the plural possessive because the holiday honors more than one president. The plural form, "presidents," implies that the holiday is shared by more than one president. This is the standard spelling that you'll see in publications like calendars and newspapers. However, Presidents Day without the apostrophe is a common variation and is recommended by the Associated Press Stylebook.

Unfortunately, some states also use the confusing singular possessive "President's Day" as the official name of the holiday. Even though the plural forms are more common, some people may mistakenly believe that the singular form, "President's Day," is incorrect.

Whatever the case may be, let us be thankful that His Exalted Highness Day is optional. That's something no one is interested in.