When Is Presidents' Day in 2023?
Presidents' Day is officially celebrated on the third Monday in February every year — which means it will hit on February 20, 2023. It's a day most teachers and students will spend outside of school for the federal holiday. The holiday used to pop up on different days of the week up until Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1971, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. The federal holiday was originally established to honor George Washington, the first president of the United States, who was born on February 22. Over time, the holiday has come to be seen as a way to honor all past presidents of the United States.What Do You Teach Kids About Presidents' Day?
Trying to wrap up your February lesson plans but scratching your head? There are many things that you can teach kids about Presidents' Day. Here are a few ideas of what to teach from our teacher team to save you some much-need time:
- The history of Presidents' Day and how it came to be a holiday.
- The role of the president of the United States, including the duties and responsibilities of the office.
- The history of the presidency, including the lives and accomplishments of some of the most important Presidents in American history.
- The importance of citizenship and civic engagement, and how young people can get involved in their communities and make a difference in the world.
- The values and ideals that have shaped the United States, such as democracy, liberty, and justice.
- Presidents' Day has been honored in some form since the 1800s, when it was first deemed a holiday to honor the birthday of President George Washington, who was born on February 22, 1732. President Rutherford B. Hayes signed the official law marking Washington's birthday as a federal holiday in 1879.
- When the holiday was moved to the third Monday in February, the celebration of Washington’s birthday was officially combined with a celebration of President Abraham Lincoln whose birthday was on February 12.
- Presidents’ Day is not the official name of the holiday. Although it's typically called that, and you'll see it marked as such on most calendars, technically the U.S. government never officially changed the name!
- The third Monday in February is still technically known as “Washington’s Birthday” or “George Washington Day" in the states of Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, and New York.
