Barbara Linde - The History of Presidents Day

Celebrating at Mount Vernon

George Washingtons home in Virginia is called Mount Vernon. Thousands of people visit it on Presidents Day. They see his tomb. They listen to speeches and bands. Theres even a birthday cake! There are more eventsand more cakeon February 22.

Talk to George Washington

At historical places all over the country, visitors can talk to George Washington. Its not really President Washington, though. Its a man who dresses and acts like him! He tells people about the real George Washington and the history of the holiday.

At the White House

In the past, some US presidents have served food or invited visitors to the White House on Presidents Day. Others have had fancy dances called balls. The president has often shared good wishes by radio or television, too.

You Can Celebrate!

Check your newspaper or your local government website for parades, speeches, plays, and other events near you. Read and think about our presidents. Fly an American flag. Whether you call it Washingtons Birthday or Presidents Day, have fun celebrating!

GLOSSARY

celebrate: to honor with special activities

event: happenings

federal: having to do with the national government

official: having the support of a group

patriot: a person who loves their country

senator: a government leader from a state

tomb: a burial room

tradition: a long-practiced custom

FOR MORE INFORMATION

BOOKS

Dash, Margaret. Presidents Day. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Classroom, 2016.

Van Lente, Fred. George Washington. New York, NY: Harper, 2018.

WEBSITES

15 Fun Facts About Presidents Day and Our National Parks

www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/15-fun-facts-about-presidents-day-and-our-national-parks

Learn about our presidents and the parks named for them.

George Washingtons Mount Vernon

www.mountvernon.org

Learn all about George Washingtons life. Take a virtual tour of his house and grounds. Find out about Washingtons Birthday and Presidents Day events.

Publishers note to educators and parents: Our editors have carefully reviewed these websites to ensure that they are suitable for students. Many websites change frequently, however, and we cannot guarantee that a sites future contents will continue to meet our high standards of quality and educational value. Be advised that students should be closely supervised whenever they access the internet.

INDEX

holiday 6, 16

Mount Vernon 14

name 10

parade 4, 20

speeches 4, 14, 20

Washington, George 4, 6, 10, 12 14, 16

Washingtons Birthday 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20

Washingtons Farewell Address 12

White House 18

Please visit our website, www.garethstevens.com. For a free color catalog of all our high-quality books, call toll free 1-800-542-2595 or fax 1-877-542-2596.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Linde, Barbara M., author.

Title: The history of Presidents Day / Barbara M. Linde.

Description: New York : Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2020. | Series: The history of our holidays | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018046483| ISBN 9781538238660 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781538238684 (library bound) | ISBN 9781538238677 (6 pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Presidents Day--History--Juvenile literature. | Presidents--United States--History--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC E176.8 .L56 2020 | DDC 394.261--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018046483

Published in 2020 by

Gareth Stevens Publishing

111 East 14th Street, Suite 349

New York, NY 10003

Copyright 2020 Gareth Stevens Publishing

Designer: Laura Bowen

Editor: Barbara M. Linde

Photo credits: Cover, p. 1 critterbiz/Shutterstock.com; pp. 224 (background texture) secondcorner/Shutterstock.com; pp. 324 (background flags) saicle/Shutterstock.com; p. 5 (main) Morgan Collection of Civil War drawings/courtesy of the Library of Congress; p. 5 (inset) Gilbert Stuart/Scewing/Wikimedia Commons; p. 7 (top) Edward Penfield/ALH/Wikimedia Commons; p. 7 (bottom) Tillman/Wikimedia Commons; p. 9 Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis Documentary/Getty Images; p. 11 (both) Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images; p. 13 SilkTork/Wikimedia Commons; p. 15 Drew Angerer/Stringer/Getty Images News/Getty Images; p. 17 Digital First Media/Orange County Register/Getty Images; p. 19 Orhan Cam/Shutterstock.com; p. 21 Dan Tardif/Corbis/Getty Images.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

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The First President

George Washington was a great patriot and the first president of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1797. Years later, people began celebrating his birthday, February 22. There were parties, parades, and speeches all over the country.

A New Holiday

Many people wanted the government to honor President Washington. In 1879, leaders made February 22 a federal holiday. Its official name was Washingtons Birthday. Government offices and banks around the country closed. Some businesses and schools also closed.

The Date Changes

In 1971, the federal government began celebrating Washingtons Birthday on the third Monday in February. This gave government workers and many teachers and students a 3-day weekend of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday!