President day праздник

Ежегодно в третий понедельник февраля Соединенные Штаты Америки празднуют День Президентов (Presidents’ Day), известный также как «Президентский день».

Свою историю сегодняшний праздник, посвященный выдающимся руководителям страны, ведет еще с 1880 года, когда впервые был публично отпразднован День рождения Джорджа Вашингтона (Washington’s Birthday), первого Президента Соединенных Штатов Америки, родившегося 22 февраля 1732 года.

Очень быстро этот день стал настоящим национальным праздником с проведением роскошных балов, на которых видные общественные деятели произносили свои речи.

В 1971 году вступил в действие законодательный акт Конгресса, целью которого было упрощение пестрого календаря федеральных праздников США, сдвигая празднование некоторых из них на понедельник. Под действие этого закона попал и день рождения Вашингтона, который стал официально отмечаться в третий понедельник февраля.

Но это еще не все. В далеком 1860 году к власти пришел еще один великий американец — Авраам Линкольн (Abraham Lincoln), который, будучи Президентом, объединил воюющие в гражданской войне южные и северные штаты страны и отменил рабство. Его день рождения (12 февраля) впервые отметили в 1865 году, когда обе палаты Конгресса собрались для того, чтобы почтить его память. И хотя этот день никогда не был объявлен общенациональным праздником, он до сих пор отмечается американцами во многих штатах.

Президент Ричард Никсон в 1971 году подал идею переименовать день рождения Вашингтона в День президентов, предлагая чтить не одного лишь Вашингтона (как по закону) или же Линкольна (по сложившейся традиции некоторых штатов), а и остальных, кто служил своей стране на посту Президента США. И хотя это предложение не переросло в закон, оно глубоко укоренилось в общественном сознании.

Таким образом, третий понедельник февраля многие отмечают как День всех президентов США, или Президентский день, хотя официально этот праздник остается Днем рождения Джорджа Вашингтона. Работники государственных учреждений в этот день отдыхают. Для магазинов же и супермаркетов — это лишь очередной повод воспользоваться трехдневным выходным и устроить распродажи зимних моделей, вплетая в рекламу легенды о президентах разных времен.

В Таджикистане 16 ноября отмечается День президента страны Эмомали Рахмона. В этот день в 1992 году Рахмон был избран председателем Верховного Совета страны, и отсюда идет летоисчисление его деятельности на посту руководителя страны.

Мы узнали, где еще существуют такие праздники.

Что такое День Президента?

16 ноября 1992 года Эмомали Рахмонов, в то время руководитель Кулябской области, был избран председателем Верховного Совета страны. Именно в этот день, 28 лет назад, во дворце Касри Арбоб колхоза имени Саидхуджи Урунхуджаева Худжандского района началась судьбоносная XVI сессия Верховного Совета республики.

В стране тогда царил хаос, шла гражданская война. Главной целью собрания депутатов в Худжанде было прекращение войны и установление мира, но, к сожалению, тогда этого достичь не удалось. Мир и спокойствие пришли в Таджикистан спустя 5 долгих лет.

Эмомали Рахмон в 2015 году был удостоен статуса «Лидер нации – Основатель мира и национального согласия»», который освобождает его от всякой ответственности за действия, совершенные в период правления, а также сохраняет его влияние даже после того, как он оставит свой пост.

Как празднуют Президентский день?

Выходного дня по этому случаю в стране нет. Но все государственные учреждения и предприятия отмечают этот день, проводят торжественные собрания и встречи.

В 2016 году вышел сборник стихотворений «Эмомали Рахмон в художественной литературе», где собрано 2256 произведений публицистического и художественного характера, рассказывающие с 1994 года о лидере Таджикистана.

Министр внутренних дел Рамазон Рахимзода под псевдонимом «Нихони» в 2016 году написал слова к песне о Рахмоне, которую исполняют известные артисты – Шабнами Сурайё, Фарзонаи Хуршед и их мать Сурайё Касымова.

28 ноября 2017 года в Таджикистане впервые написали театральную пьесу «Назаркарда» (Избранный Богом человек) о президенте республики. Ее автор — писатель, драматург Абдугаффор Абдуджаббор.

Кроме главного героя – 40-летнего Эмомали Рахмона, только что избранного Председателем Верховного Совета Таджикистана, действующими лицами являются члены семьи президента, а также экс-президент России Борис Ельцин.

Кто еще отмечает День президента в СНГ?

С 2012 года, 1 декабря в Казахстане почти 10 лет отмечался День Первого президента РК Нурсултана Назарбаева как государственный праздник. Этот день был выходным.

29 сентября 2022 года действующий президент Касым-Жомарт Токаев подписал изменения в законодательстве, которые предусматривают исключение Дня президента как государственного праздника и возвращение Дня Республики, празднование которого было отменено при Назарбаеве. День Республики отмечается 25 октября. А День президента остался среди «общественно значимых» праздников, наряду с Днем государственных символов или Днем благодарности. Отдыхать в этот день казахстанцы не будут.

В Туркменистане 19 февраля в 1994 году отмечался как всенародный праздник — день рождения Туркменбаши. Однако уже через год Сапармурат Ниязов своим решением объявил этот день — Днем государственного флага.

Кто, где и как отмечает День президента в мире?

Ежегодно в третий понедельник февраля в США отмечают President’s Day — День президентов. Хотя этот день официально посвящен жизни и деятельности Джорджа Вашингтона, рожденного 22 февраля, в этот день чествуют всех предыдущих президентов, которые управляли в Соединенных Штатах.

День президентов в Америке признан выходным днем и повсеместно проводятся различные развлекательные мероприятия, не связанные с президентом. Например, в Нью-Йорке организовывают массу забавных мероприятий для детей. Этот день благоприятен для розничной торговли, многие магазины отмечают его как начало сезона продаж.

На Маршалловых островах День президента отмечается 17 ноября. В этот день в 1928 году родился первый президент страны Амата Кабуа, которого считают одним из отцов-основателей независимости, так как именно Кабуа участвовал в переговорах о предоставлении суверенитета государству от США. Также первый президент является автором слов и музыки национального гимна страны «Маршалловы острова навсегда».

11 ноября в день рождения первого руководителя Анголы Антонио Ангостиньо Нето отмечается День национальных героев, посвященный не только президенту Нето, но и всем борцам за независимость страны, которая была установлена в 1975 году. Именно в том году бывшая португальская колония обрела независимость.

Ботсвана празднует День президента в третий понедельник июня. Серетсе Кхама, первый руководитель африканской республики, занимал должность президента с момента получения Ботсваной независимости в 1966 года до своей смерти в 1980.

На Родине он запомнился как борец с коррупцией и успешный реформатор, поэтому и празднование Дня президента проходит широко и пышно в течение двух дней.

День президентов в США

Третий понедельник февраля в США – Президентский День. В этом году праздник выпадает на 19 февраля, но изначально он приурочен к дню рождения Джорджа Вашингтона, первого президента Штатов, который родился 22 февраля в 1732 году. У Дня Президентов несколько названий на английском — Washington’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day (President’s Day), and Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday.

Различия по штатам

День Президентов празднуется по всей стране, но в разных штатах по-разному. Более того, в разных частях страны принято ассоциировать праздник не только с Вашингтоном, но и другими президентами – Линкольном, Джефферсоном и другими. Например, в Алабаме в феврале празднуют день Джорджа Вашингтона и Джефферсона, а в Арканзасе – Вашингтона и Дэйзи Бейтс, известную журналистку и борца за гражданские права.

Официальный праздник, но не выходной

Хотя День Президентов – официальный праздник, этот день не выходной. До конца 80-х годов прошлого века большинство американских компаний и учреждений закрывались, но со временем эта практика стала отходить. Сейчас в Президентский День работают частные и государственные компании, в том числе службы доставки, почта, магазины. В большинстве колледжей и университетов занятия идут по расписанию. Но во многих школах до сих пор на этот праздник устраивают выходные, а в некоторых школах даже принято организовывать целую неделю отдыха, которую называют «mid-winter recess» – каникулы в середине зимы.

Как проходит  President’s Day в США

Накануне Дня Президентов в американских школах проводится урок истории США, биографии президентов, особенно Вашингтона и Линкольна. Ученики вместе с учителями организуют события, посвященные этому дню: лекции, викторины, экскурсии.

Во многих магазинах и торговых центрах устраиваются распродажи в честь Дня Президента. В центрах крупных городов устраиваются праздничные мероприятия. Самые яркие и запоминающиеся празднества проходят в Вашингтоне, округ Колумбия. Также День Президентов широко празднуют в Алегзандрии (англ. Alexandria) – виргинском городе, который находится всего в 10 километрах от Вашингтона и фактически входит в его состав. Например, в этом городе проводится самый крупный парад в честь Дня Президентов. А по вечерам в историческом здании таверны Gadby’s Tavern, которую в том числе посещали Вашингтон, Джефферсон, Мэдисон и другие, проводятся ежегодные балы с танцами в стиле XVIII века.

В День Президентов многие американцы путешествуют: отправляются в Алегзандрию, в Вашингтон, в Маунт-Вернон, где родился и похоронен Джордж Вашингтон. Те, у кого нет возможности отправиться в другой город, посещают местные музеи в своих городах.

А тем, кто изучает английский язык, мы рекомендуем в День Президентов вспомнить основы американской истории и познакомиться с биографией Джорджа Вашингтон.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Washington’s Birthday Presidents Day
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1797)
Official name	Varies by federal, state and city law
Observed by	United States
Type	Federal and most U.S. states and cities
Celebrations	Community and national celebrations
Date	Third Monday in February
2022 date	February 21
2023 date	February 20
2024 date	February 19
2025 date	February 17
Frequency	Annual
First time	1879 (as an official federal holiday)
Related to	Lincoln’s Birthday

Presidents’ Day, also called Washington’s Birthday at the federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February to honor all persons who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879, has been the federal holiday honoring George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and was the first U.S. president.

The day is an official state holiday in most states, with names including Washington’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, President’s Day, Presidents Day, and Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday.^[1] The various states use 15 different names. Depending upon the specific law, the state holiday may officially celebrate Washington alone, Washington and Lincoln, or some other combination of U.S. presidents (such as Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who was born in April).^[1]

Washington’s Birthday was celebrated on February 22 from 1879 until 1970. To give federal employees a three-day weekend, in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it to the third Monday in February, which can occur from February 15 to the 21st.^[2] The day soon became known as Presidents(‘) Day^[3] (the placement of the apostrophe, if any, varies) and provides an occasion to remember all U.S. presidents, or to honor Abraham Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays together.^[1]

As states and cities followed suit, those that had been celebrating Lincoln’s birthday on February 12 combined the two into Presidents Day. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, preserved the Union, abolished slavery, bolstered the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy.

Official state holidays[edit]

Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, but nearly half the state governments have officially renamed their observances «Presidents’ Day», «Washington and Lincoln Day», or other such designations. (In historical rankings of presidents of the United States, Lincoln and Washington are often the top two.)

In the following states and possessions of the United States, this same day is an official state holiday and known as:^[4]

Using «president» in the official title

• «Presidents’ Day» in Hawaii,^[5] New Mexico, North Dakota,^[6] Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,^[7] Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont,^[8] and Washington^[9]
• «President’s Day» in Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming
• «Presidents Day» in Nevada, New Jersey, and Oregon
• «Washington’s Birthday/President’s Day» in Maine
• «Lincoln/Washington/Presidents’ Day» in Arizona

Using «Washington» alone

• George Washington Day in Virginia
• Washington’s Birthday in Illinois, Iowa,^[10] Massachusetts,^[11] Michigan,^[12] Louisiana and New York^[13]

Using both «Washington» and «Lincoln»

• Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday in Montana
• Washington–Lincoln Day in Colorado,^[14] Ohio^[15]
• Washington and Lincoln Day in Utah^[16]
• Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday in Minnesota^[17]

Using «Washington» and another person

• George Washington/Thomas Jefferson Birthday in Alabama^[18]
• George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Bates Day in Arkansas

Unnamed

• «The third Monday in February» in California; Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, explicitly known as Lincoln Day, is a separate holiday.^[19][20]

Not a holiday

• Some states do not observe a holiday on this day and do not have a day celebrating Washington or presidents in general. Delaware does not observe a Washington’s Birthday/Presidents’ Day holiday.^[21]

Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. In Massachusetts, the state officially celebrates «Washington’s Birthday» on the same day as the federal holiday. State law also directs the governor to issue an annual «Presidents Day» proclamation on May 29 (John F. Kennedy’s birthday), honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Calvin Coolidge.^[22] In California,^[23] Connecticut, Missouri, and Illinois, while Washington’s Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.

In New Mexico, Presidents’ Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving,^[24][25] although the legal public holiday remains the third Monday in February.^[26] In Georgia, Washington’s Birthday is not a state-government paid holiday, although until 2018 it was officially observed on Christmas Eve.^[27] Similarly, in Indiana, Washington’s Birthday is observed on Christmas Eve, or the day preceding the weekend if Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday, while Lincoln’s Birthday is the day after Thanksgiving.^[28]

History[edit]

George Washington was born on February 11, 1731 (Old Style), at his parents’ Pope’s Creek Estate near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia, now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. At the time, the entire British Empire, including its North American possessions, was on the Julian calendar; the Empire, not being bound to the Catholic Church, had not yet adopted the modern Gregorian calendar that Catholic countries had adopted in 1582. Consequently, by the 1730s, the Julian calendar used by Britain and the Colonies was eleven days behind the Gregorian, because of leap year differences. Furthermore, the British civil year began on March 25 rather than January 1, so that dates in February (such as this one) ‘belonged’ to the preceding year. (See Dual dating). In 1752, The British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar; since then, Americans born prior to 1752, including Washington, have typically had their birthdays recognized according to the Gregorian calendar («New Style» dates). Since February 11, 1731, on the Julian calendar was February 22, 1732, on the Gregorian, and he was alive at the time the change was made, Washington changed his birth date to February 22, 1732, to match the new calendar.^[29]

The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in Washington (20 Stat. 277) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23 Stat. 516). As the first federal holiday to honor an American president, the holiday was celebrated on Washington’s birthday under the Gregorian calendar, February 22.^[30] On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.^[31] This places it between February 15 and 21, which makes «Washington’s Birthday» something of a misnomer, since it never occurs on Washington’s actual birthday, February 22. (A rough analogue of this phenomenon can be seen in Commonwealth realms, where the reigning monarch’s official birthday is celebrated without regard to their actual date of birth.)^{[citation needed]}

The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the «President’s Day National Committee» was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California, who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor the office of the presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day, but the bill recognizing March 4 stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee (which had authority over federal holidays). The committee felt that, given its proximity to Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. But meanwhile the governors of a majority of the states issued proclamations declaring March 4 Presidents’ Day in their respective jurisdictions.^[32]

An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act would have renamed the holiday «Presidents’ Day» to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee, and the bill was voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968, keeping the name «Washington’s Birthday».^[32][33]

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term «Presidents’ Day» began its public appearance.^[34]

In Washington’s adopted hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, celebrations are held throughout February.^[35]

Observance and traditions[edit]

A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie, based on the legend of Washington in his youth chopping down a cherry tree.^[36]

Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on Memorial Day or Christmas Day.^[37] However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering sales and other promotions. Federal and state government services close (U.S. Postal Service, state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts).^[38] Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on the school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, but some school districts, such as New York City, may close for an entire week as a «mid-winter recess».^[39]

The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears Washington’s image) is awarded to soldiers who are injured in battle.^[40]

Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. Laredo, Texas, hosts a monthlong tribute, as does Washington’s hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, which includes what is claimed to be the nation’s longest-running and largest George Washington Birthday parade.^[41] Eustis, Florida, holds an annual «GeorgeFest» celebration that began in 1902,^[42] and in Denver, Colorado, there is a society dedicated to observing the day.^[43] At the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia, visitors are treated to birthday celebrations on the holiday,^[44] while at Mount Vernon they last throughout the holiday weekend and through February 22.^[45]

Since 1862 there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington’s Farewell Address be read on his birthday. Citizens asked that this be done in light of the ongoing Civil War.^[46]

Punctuation[edit]

Because «Presidents’ Day» is not the official name of the federal holiday there is variation in how it is rendered, both colloquially and in the name of official state holidays.^[2]

When used with the intention of celebrating more than one individual, the form «Presidents’ Day» was usual in the past. In recent years, as the use of attributive nouns (nouns acting as modifiers) has become more widespread, the form «Presidents Day» has become more common;^[47] the Associated Press Stylebook, most newspapers and some magazines use this form.^[48]

«President’s Day» as an alternate rendering of «Washington’s Birthday», or for the purpose of commemorating the presidency as an institution, is a proper use of a possessive and is the legal rendering in eight states.^[49]

Dates[edit]

Year	Washington’s Birthday
1994	2000	2005	2011		2022	2028	2033	February 21 (week
1995		2006	2012	2017	2023		2034	February 20 (week
1996	2001	2007		2018	2024	2029	2035	February 19 (week
	2002	2008	2013	2019		2030	2036	February 18 (week 7)
1997	2003		2014	2020	2025	2031		February 17 (week 7)
1998	2004	2009	2015		2026	2032	2037	February 16 (week 7)
1999		2010	2016	2021	2027		2038	February 15 (week 7)

See also[edit]

• List of memorials to George Washington
• Family Day (Canada)
• Historical rankings of presidents of the United States

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Media related to Washington’s Birthday at Wikimedia Commons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Washington’s Birthday Presidents Day
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1797)
Official name	Varies by federal, state and city law
Observed by	United States
Type	Federal and most U.S. states and cities
Celebrations	Community and national celebrations
Date	Third Monday in February
2022 date	February 21
2023 date	February 20
2024 date	February 19
2025 date	February 17
Frequency	Annual
First time	1879 (as an official federal holiday)
Related to	Lincoln’s Birthday

Presidents’ Day, also called Washington’s Birthday at the federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February to honor all persons who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879, has been the federal holiday honoring George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and was the first U.S. president.

The day is an official state holiday in most states, with names including Washington’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, President’s Day, Presidents Day, and Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday.^[1] The various states use 15 different names. Depending upon the specific law, the state holiday may officially celebrate Washington alone, Washington and Lincoln, or some other combination of U.S. presidents (such as Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who was born in April).^[1]

Washington’s Birthday was celebrated on February 22 from 1879 until 1970. To give federal employees a three-day weekend, in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it to the third Monday in February, which can occur from February 15 to the 21st.^[2] The day soon became known as Presidents(‘) Day^[3] (the placement of the apostrophe, if any, varies) and provides an occasion to remember all U.S. presidents, or to honor Abraham Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays together.^[1]

As states and cities followed suit, those that had been celebrating Lincoln’s birthday on February 12 combined the two into Presidents Day. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, preserved the Union, abolished slavery, bolstered the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy.

Official state holidays[edit]

Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, but nearly half the state governments have officially renamed their observances «Presidents’ Day», «Washington and Lincoln Day», or other such designations. (In historical rankings of presidents of the United States, Lincoln and Washington are often the top two.)

In the following states and possessions of the United States, this same day is an official state holiday and known as:^[4]

Using «president» in the official title

• «Presidents’ Day» in Hawaii,^[5] New Mexico, North Dakota,^[6] Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,^[7] Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont,^[8] and Washington^[9]
• «President’s Day» in Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming
• «Presidents Day» in Nevada, New Jersey, and Oregon
• «Washington’s Birthday/President’s Day» in Maine
• «Lincoln/Washington/Presidents’ Day» in Arizona

Using «Washington» alone

• George Washington Day in Virginia
• Washington’s Birthday in Illinois, Iowa,^[10] Massachusetts,^[11] Michigan,^[12] Louisiana and New York^[13]

Using both «Washington» and «Lincoln»

• Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday in Montana
• Washington–Lincoln Day in Colorado,^[14] Ohio^[15]
• Washington and Lincoln Day in Utah^[16]
• Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday in Minnesota^[17]

Using «Washington» and another person

• George Washington/Thomas Jefferson Birthday in Alabama^[18]
• George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Bates Day in Arkansas

Unnamed

• «The third Monday in February» in California; Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, explicitly known as Lincoln Day, is a separate holiday.^[19][20]

Not a holiday

• Some states do not observe a holiday on this day and do not have a day celebrating Washington or presidents in general. Delaware does not observe a Washington’s Birthday/Presidents’ Day holiday.^[21]

Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. In Massachusetts, the state officially celebrates «Washington’s Birthday» on the same day as the federal holiday. State law also directs the governor to issue an annual «Presidents Day» proclamation on May 29 (John F. Kennedy’s birthday), honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Calvin Coolidge.^[22] In California,^[23] Connecticut, Missouri, and Illinois, while Washington’s Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.

In New Mexico, Presidents’ Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving,^[24][25] although the legal public holiday remains the third Monday in February.^[26] In Georgia, Washington’s Birthday is not a state-government paid holiday, although until 2018 it was officially observed on Christmas Eve.^[27] Similarly, in Indiana, Washington’s Birthday is observed on Christmas Eve, or the day preceding the weekend if Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday, while Lincoln’s Birthday is the day after Thanksgiving.^[28]

History[edit]

George Washington was born on February 11, 1731 (Old Style), at his parents’ Pope’s Creek Estate near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia, now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. At the time, the entire British Empire, including its North American possessions, was on the Julian calendar; the Empire, not being bound to the Catholic Church, had not yet adopted the modern Gregorian calendar that Catholic countries had adopted in 1582. Consequently, by the 1730s, the Julian calendar used by Britain and the Colonies was eleven days behind the Gregorian, because of leap year differences. Furthermore, the British civil year began on March 25 rather than January 1, so that dates in February (such as this one) ‘belonged’ to the preceding year. (See Dual dating). In 1752, The British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar; since then, Americans born prior to 1752, including Washington, have typically had their birthdays recognized according to the Gregorian calendar («New Style» dates). Since February 11, 1731, on the Julian calendar was February 22, 1732, on the Gregorian, and he was alive at the time the change was made, Washington changed his birth date to February 22, 1732, to match the new calendar.^[29]

The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in Washington (20 Stat. 277) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23 Stat. 516). As the first federal holiday to honor an American president, the holiday was celebrated on Washington’s birthday under the Gregorian calendar, February 22.^[30] On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.^[31] This places it between February 15 and 21, which makes «Washington’s Birthday» something of a misnomer, since it never occurs on Washington’s actual birthday, February 22. (A rough analogue of this phenomenon can be seen in Commonwealth realms, where the reigning monarch’s official birthday is celebrated without regard to their actual date of birth.)^{[citation needed]}

The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the «President’s Day National Committee» was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California, who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor the office of the presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day, but the bill recognizing March 4 stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee (which had authority over federal holidays). The committee felt that, given its proximity to Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. But meanwhile the governors of a majority of the states issued proclamations declaring March 4 Presidents’ Day in their respective jurisdictions.^[32]

An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act would have renamed the holiday «Presidents’ Day» to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee, and the bill was voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968, keeping the name «Washington’s Birthday».^[32][33]

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term «Presidents’ Day» began its public appearance.^[34]

In Washington’s adopted hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, celebrations are held throughout February.^[35]

Observance and traditions[edit]

A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie, based on the legend of Washington in his youth chopping down a cherry tree.^[36]

Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on Memorial Day or Christmas Day.^[37] However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering sales and other promotions. Federal and state government services close (U.S. Postal Service, state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts).^[38] Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on the school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, but some school districts, such as New York City, may close for an entire week as a «mid-winter recess».^[39]

The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears Washington’s image) is awarded to soldiers who are injured in battle.^[40]

Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. Laredo, Texas, hosts a monthlong tribute, as does Washington’s hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, which includes what is claimed to be the nation’s longest-running and largest George Washington Birthday parade.^[41] Eustis, Florida, holds an annual «GeorgeFest» celebration that began in 1902,^[42] and in Denver, Colorado, there is a society dedicated to observing the day.^[43] At the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia, visitors are treated to birthday celebrations on the holiday,^[44] while at Mount Vernon they last throughout the holiday weekend and through February 22.^[45]

Since 1862 there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington’s Farewell Address be read on his birthday. Citizens asked that this be done in light of the ongoing Civil War.^[46]

Punctuation[edit]

Because «Presidents’ Day» is not the official name of the federal holiday there is variation in how it is rendered, both colloquially and in the name of official state holidays.^[2]

When used with the intention of celebrating more than one individual, the form «Presidents’ Day» was usual in the past. In recent years, as the use of attributive nouns (nouns acting as modifiers) has become more widespread, the form «Presidents Day» has become more common;^[47] the Associated Press Stylebook, most newspapers and some magazines use this form.^[48]

«President’s Day» as an alternate rendering of «Washington’s Birthday», or for the purpose of commemorating the presidency as an institution, is a proper use of a possessive and is the legal rendering in eight states.^[49]

Dates[edit]

Year	Washington’s Birthday
1994	2000	2005	2011		2022	2028	2033	February 21 (week
1995		2006	2012	2017	2023		2034	February 20 (week
1996	2001	2007		2018	2024	2029	2035	February 19 (week
	2002	2008	2013	2019		2030	2036	February 18 (week 7)
1997	2003		2014	2020	2025	2031		February 17 (week 7)
1998	2004	2009	2015		2026	2032	2037	February 16 (week 7)
1999		2010	2016	2021	2027		2038	February 15 (week 7)

See also[edit]

• List of memorials to George Washington
• Family Day (Canada)
• Historical rankings of presidents of the United States

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Media related to Washington’s Birthday at Wikimedia Commons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Washington’s Birthday Presidents Day
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1797)
Official name	Varies by federal, state and city law
Observed by	United States
Type	Federal and most U.S. states and cities
Celebrations	Community and national celebrations
Date	Third Monday in February
2022 date	February 21
2023 date	February 20
2024 date	February 19
2025 date	February 17
Frequency	Annual
First time	1879 (as an official federal holiday)
Related to	Lincoln’s Birthday

Presidents’ Day, also called Washington’s Birthday at the federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February to honor all persons who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879, has been the federal holiday honoring George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and was the first U.S. president.

The day is an official state holiday in most states, with names including Washington’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, President’s Day, Presidents Day, and Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday.^[1] The various states use 15 different names. Depending upon the specific law, the state holiday may officially celebrate Washington alone, Washington and Lincoln, or some other combination of U.S. presidents (such as Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who was born in April).^[1]

Washington’s Birthday was celebrated on February 22 from 1879 until 1970. To give federal employees a three-day weekend, in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it to the third Monday in February, which can occur from February 15 to the 21st.^[2] The day soon became known as Presidents(‘) Day^[3] (the placement of the apostrophe, if any, varies) and provides an occasion to remember all U.S. presidents, or to honor Abraham Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays together.^[1]

As states and cities followed suit, those that had been celebrating Lincoln’s birthday on February 12 combined the two into Presidents Day. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, preserved the Union, abolished slavery, bolstered the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy.

Official state holidays[edit]

Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, but nearly half the state governments have officially renamed their observances «Presidents’ Day», «Washington and Lincoln Day», or other such designations. (In historical rankings of presidents of the United States, Lincoln and Washington are often the top two.)

In the following states and possessions of the United States, this same day is an official state holiday and known as:^[4]

Using «president» in the official title

• «Presidents’ Day» in Hawaii,^[5] New Mexico, North Dakota,^[6] Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,^[7] Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont,^[8] and Washington^[9]
• «President’s Day» in Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming
• «Presidents Day» in Nevada, New Jersey, and Oregon
• «Washington’s Birthday/President’s Day» in Maine
• «Lincoln/Washington/Presidents’ Day» in Arizona

Using «Washington» alone

• George Washington Day in Virginia
• Washington’s Birthday in Illinois, Iowa,^[10] Massachusetts,^[11] Michigan,^[12] Louisiana and New York^[13]

Using both «Washington» and «Lincoln»

• Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday in Montana
• Washington–Lincoln Day in Colorado,^[14] Ohio^[15]
• Washington and Lincoln Day in Utah^[16]
• Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday in Minnesota^[17]

Using «Washington» and another person

• George Washington/Thomas Jefferson Birthday in Alabama^[18]
• George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Bates Day in Arkansas

Unnamed

• «The third Monday in February» in California; Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, explicitly known as Lincoln Day, is a separate holiday.^[19][20]

Not a holiday

• Some states do not observe a holiday on this day and do not have a day celebrating Washington or presidents in general. Delaware does not observe a Washington’s Birthday/Presidents’ Day holiday.^[21]

Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. In Massachusetts, the state officially celebrates «Washington’s Birthday» on the same day as the federal holiday. State law also directs the governor to issue an annual «Presidents Day» proclamation on May 29 (John F. Kennedy’s birthday), honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Calvin Coolidge.^[22] In California,^[23] Connecticut, Missouri, and Illinois, while Washington’s Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.

In New Mexico, Presidents’ Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving,^[24][25] although the legal public holiday remains the third Monday in February.^[26] In Georgia, Washington’s Birthday is not a state-government paid holiday, although until 2018 it was officially observed on Christmas Eve.^[27] Similarly, in Indiana, Washington’s Birthday is observed on Christmas Eve, or the day preceding the weekend if Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday, while Lincoln’s Birthday is the day after Thanksgiving.^[28]

History[edit]

George Washington was born on February 11, 1731 (Old Style), at his parents’ Pope’s Creek Estate near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia, now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. At the time, the entire British Empire, including its North American possessions, was on the Julian calendar; the Empire, not being bound to the Catholic Church, had not yet adopted the modern Gregorian calendar that Catholic countries had adopted in 1582. Consequently, by the 1730s, the Julian calendar used by Britain and the Colonies was eleven days behind the Gregorian, because of leap year differences. Furthermore, the British civil year began on March 25 rather than January 1, so that dates in February (such as this one) ‘belonged’ to the preceding year. (See Dual dating). In 1752, The British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar; since then, Americans born prior to 1752, including Washington, have typically had their birthdays recognized according to the Gregorian calendar («New Style» dates). Since February 11, 1731, on the Julian calendar was February 22, 1732, on the Gregorian, and he was alive at the time the change was made, Washington changed his birth date to February 22, 1732, to match the new calendar.^[29]

The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in Washington (20 Stat. 277) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23 Stat. 516). As the first federal holiday to honor an American president, the holiday was celebrated on Washington’s birthday under the Gregorian calendar, February 22.^[30] On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.^[31] This places it between February 15 and 21, which makes «Washington’s Birthday» something of a misnomer, since it never occurs on Washington’s actual birthday, February 22. (A rough analogue of this phenomenon can be seen in Commonwealth realms, where the reigning monarch’s official birthday is celebrated without regard to their actual date of birth.)^{[citation needed]}

The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the «President’s Day National Committee» was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California, who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor the office of the presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day, but the bill recognizing March 4 stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee (which had authority over federal holidays). The committee felt that, given its proximity to Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. But meanwhile the governors of a majority of the states issued proclamations declaring March 4 Presidents’ Day in their respective jurisdictions.^[32]

An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act would have renamed the holiday «Presidents’ Day» to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee, and the bill was voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968, keeping the name «Washington’s Birthday».^[32][33]

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term «Presidents’ Day» began its public appearance.^[34]

In Washington’s adopted hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, celebrations are held throughout February.^[35]

Observance and traditions[edit]

A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie, based on the legend of Washington in his youth chopping down a cherry tree.^[36]

Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on Memorial Day or Christmas Day.^[37] However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering sales and other promotions. Federal and state government services close (U.S. Postal Service, state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts).^[38] Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on the school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, but some school districts, such as New York City, may close for an entire week as a «mid-winter recess».^[39]

The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears Washington’s image) is awarded to soldiers who are injured in battle.^[40]

Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. Laredo, Texas, hosts a monthlong tribute, as does Washington’s hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, which includes what is claimed to be the nation’s longest-running and largest George Washington Birthday parade.^[41] Eustis, Florida, holds an annual «GeorgeFest» celebration that began in 1902,^[42] and in Denver, Colorado, there is a society dedicated to observing the day.^[43] At the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia, visitors are treated to birthday celebrations on the holiday,^[44] while at Mount Vernon they last throughout the holiday weekend and through February 22.^[45]

Since 1862 there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington’s Farewell Address be read on his birthday. Citizens asked that this be done in light of the ongoing Civil War.^[46]

Punctuation[edit]

Because «Presidents’ Day» is not the official name of the federal holiday there is variation in how it is rendered, both colloquially and in the name of official state holidays.^[2]

When used with the intention of celebrating more than one individual, the form «Presidents’ Day» was usual in the past. In recent years, as the use of attributive nouns (nouns acting as modifiers) has become more widespread, the form «Presidents Day» has become more common;^[47] the Associated Press Stylebook, most newspapers and some magazines use this form.^[48]

«President’s Day» as an alternate rendering of «Washington’s Birthday», or for the purpose of commemorating the presidency as an institution, is a proper use of a possessive and is the legal rendering in eight states.^[49]

Dates[edit]

Year	Washington’s Birthday
1994	2000	2005	2011		2022	2028	2033	February 21 (week
1995		2006	2012	2017	2023		2034	February 20 (week
1996	2001	2007		2018	2024	2029	2035	February 19 (week
	2002	2008	2013	2019		2030	2036	February 18 (week 7)
1997	2003		2014	2020	2025	2031		February 17 (week 7)
1998	2004	2009	2015		2026	2032	2037	February 16 (week 7)
1999		2010	2016	2021	2027		2038	February 15 (week 7)

See also[edit]

• List of memorials to George Washington
• Family Day (Canada)
• Historical rankings of presidents of the United States

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Media related to Washington’s Birthday at Wikimedia Commons

Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February; Presidents’ Day 2023 will occur on Monday, February 20. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.

WATCH: Presidential Documentaries on HISTORY Vault

Washington’s Birthday

The story of Presidents’ Day date begins in 1800. Following the death of George Washington in 1799, his February 22 birthday became a perennial day of remembrance.

At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history, and events like the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration.

While Washington’s Birthday was an unofficial observance for most of the 1800s, it was not until the late 1870s that it became a federal holiday. Senator Stephen Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas was the first to propose the measure, and in 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law.

The holiday initially only applied to the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country. At the time, Washington’s Birthday joined four other nationally recognized federal bank holidays—Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving—and was the first to celebrate the life of an individual American. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, signed into law in 1983, was the second.

READ MORE: George Washington: A Timeline of his Life

Uniform Monday Holiday Act

The shift from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents’ Day began in the late 1960s, when Congress proposed a measure known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Championed by Senator Robert McClory of Illinois, this law sought to shift the celebration of several federal holidays from specific dates to a series of predetermined Mondays.

The proposed change was seen by many as a novel way to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers, and it was believed that ensuring holidays always fell on the same weekday would reduce employee absenteeism. While some argued that shifting holidays from their original dates would cheapen their meaning, the bill also had widespread support from both the private sector and labor unions and was seen as a surefire way to bolster retail sales.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act also included a provision to combine the celebration of Washington’s birthday with that of Abraham Lincoln, which fell on February 12. Lincoln’s Birthday had long been a state holiday in places like Illinois, and many supported joining the two days as a way of giving equal recognition to two of America’s most famous statesmen.

McClory was among the measure’s major proponents, and he even floated the idea of renaming the holiday Presidents’ Day. This proved to be a point of contention for lawmakers from George Washington’s home state of Virginia, and the proposal was eventually dropped.

Nevertheless, the main piece of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed in 1968 and officially took effect in 1971 following an executive order from President Richard M. Nixon. Washington’s Birthday was then shifted from the fixed date of February 22 to the third Monday of February. Columbus Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day were also moved from their traditionally designated dates. (As a result of widespread criticism, in 1978 Veterans Day was returned to its original November 11 date.)

What Presidents Do We Celebrate on Presidents’ Day?

While Nixon’s order plainly called the newly placed holiday Washington’s Birthday, it was not long before the shift to Presidents’ Day began.

The move away from February 22 led many to believe that the new date was intended to honor both Washington and Lincoln, as it now fell between their two birthdays. Marketers soon jumped at the opportunity to play up the three-day weekend with sales, and “Presidents’ Day” bargains were advertised at stores around the country.

By the mid-1980s, Washington’s Birthday was known to many Americans as Presidents’ Day. This shift had solidified in the early 2000s, by which time as many as half the 50 states had changed the holiday’s name to Presidents’ Day on their calendars.

Some states have even chosen to customize the holiday by adding new figures to the celebration. Arkansas, for instance, celebrates Washington as well as civil rights activist Daisy Gatson Bates. Alabama, meanwhile, uses Presidents’ Day to commemorate Washington and Thomas Jefferson (who was born in April).

Washington and Lincoln still remain the two most recognized leaders, but Presidents’ Day is now popularly seen as a day to recognize the lives and achievements of all of America’s chief executives. Some lawmakers have objected to this view, arguing that grouping George Washington and Abraham Lincoln together with less successful presidents minimizes their legacies.

Congressional measures to restore Washington and Lincoln’s individual birthdays were proposed during the early 2000s, but all failed to gain much attention. For its part, the federal government has held fast to the original incarnation of the holiday as a celebration of the country’s first president. The third Monday in February is still listed on official calendars as Washington’s Birthday.

READ MORE: How the First 10 U.S. Presidents Helped Shape the Role of the Nation’s Top Office

What Is Closed On Presidents’ Day?

As a federal holiday, many banks and schools are closed in observance of Presidents’ Day. The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are closed for trading on Presidents’ Day. The post office is not open and non-essential federal workers have the day off.

Presidents’ Day Celebrations and Traditions

Like Independence Day, Presidents’ Day is traditionally viewed as a time of patriotic celebration and remembrance. In its original incarnation as Washington’s Birthday, the holiday gained special meaning during the difficulties of the Great Depression, when portraits of George Washington often graced the front pages of newspapers and magazines every February 22.

In 1932, the date was used to reinstate the Purple Heart, a military decoration originally created by George Washington to honor soldiers killed or wounded while serving in the armed forces. Patriotic groups and the Boy Scouts of America also held celebrations on the day, and in 1938 some 5,000 people attended mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in honor of Washington.

In its modern form, Presidents’ Day is used by many patriotic and historical groups as a date for staging celebrations, reenactments and other events. A number of states also require that their public schools spend the days leading up to Presidents’ Day teaching students about the accomplishments of the presidents.

READ MORE: 46 Surprising Facts About 46 Presidents

Традиции празднования Дня президентов в США содержат мероприятия, связанные с патриотизмом и памятью. Однако когда и почему в Соединённых штатах стали чествовать своих президентов, и какие традиции празднования Дня президентов имеются здесь? Прочитав статью, вы узнаете почему праздник стал называться Днём президентов, а также какие традиции празднования Дня президентов можно наблюдать здесь в настоящее время.

1. История появления в США традиции празднования Дня президентов

После смерти первого президента Соединённых Штатов Джорджа Вашингтона (1799 год) дата его рождения стала стала вечным днём памяти. В то время он считался самой важной фигурой в американской истории. А такие события, как столетие его рождения в 1832 году и начало строительства памятника Вашингтону в 1848 году, были поводом для национального празднования.

День рождения Джорджа Вашингтона был неофициальным праздником в 1800 годах. Первоначально праздник отмечался только в округе Колумбия, но в 1885 году он был распространён на всю страну Он стал федеральным праздником только в конце 1870-х годов. Сенатор Стивен Уоллес Дорси из Арканзаса был первым, кто предложил отмечать День рождение первого президента. А в 1879 году президент Резерфорд Б. Хейс подписал закон.

В 1968 году конгресс США принял «Единый закон о праздниках понедельника», который перенёс ряд федеральных праздников на этот день недели. Это изменение было направлено на то, чтобы у работников было несколько длинных выходных в течение года.

Законопроект также получил широкую поддержку как со стороны частного сектора, так и профсоюзов и рассматривался как верный способ поддержать розничные продажи. Были в то время и некоторые политики, которые утверждали, что «перенос праздников с их первоначальных дат удешевит их значение».

Уже тогда, в ходе дискуссий, звучали предложения о переименовании праздника. Дело в том, что дата ещё одного великого американского президента Авраама Линкольна выпадала на 12 февраля. Был смысл объединить празднование этих двух дат, и поменять название праздника на «День президентов». Однако конгресс так и не смог достичь консенсуса по этому вопросу. Законопроект был подписан Ричардом Никсоном (1971 год), в законе праздник имел своё старое название «День рождение Вашингтона», с новой датой празднования.

Отказ от празднования Дня рождения Джорджа Вашингтона 22 февраля привёл многих к убеждению, что третий понедельник февраля предназначен для чествования двух президентов. Действительно теперь дата праздника попадала в промежуток между днями рождения Линкольна и Вашингтона (12 февраля и 22 февраля соответственно). Бизнес быстро перестроился, и в трёхдневный уик-энд крупные торговые точки стали рекламироваться акции «Дня президентов».

К середине 1980-х третий понедельник февраля уже был известен многим американцам как «День президентов». Этот сдвиг усилился в начале 2000-х годов, к тому времени во многих американских штатах отказались от старого названия праздника. Его стали называть «Днём президентов».

Некоторые территории страны даже решили изменить содержание праздника, добавив к нему новые лица. Арканзас, например, чествуют не только первого президента США, а также и активистку гражданских прав Дейзи Гэтсон Бейтс. Алабама, тем временем, использует День президентов, чтобы вспомнить и про третьего президента Томаса Джефферсона (который родился в апреле).

Личности Джорджа Вашингтона и Авраама Линкольна в США не оспариваются. Они остаются всеми почитаемыми президентами. Однако  сегодня широко рассматриваются и обсуждаются заслуги и других главных руководителей Америки. Некоторые законодатели в США считают, что чествование Джорджа Вашингтона и Авраама Линкольна вместе с менее успешными президентами минимизирует их наследие.

Меры Конгресса по восстановлению индивидуальных дней рождения Вашингтона и Линкольна были предложены в начале 2000-х годов, но все они не привлекли особого внимания. Со своей стороны, федеральное правительство твёрдо придерживается первоначального воплощения праздника как празднования первого президента страны. Третий понедельник февраля всё ещё значится в официальных календарях как «День рождения Вашингтона».

2. Когда День президентов отмечают США?

Из сказанного выше вы поняли, что «День президентов» в США выпадает на третий понедельник февраля, и эта дата год от года может быть разной…
День президентов в 2019 году отмечался в понедельник, 18 февраля. В 2020 году — 17 февраля, в 2021 году — 15 февраля, в 2022 году — 21 февраля, в 2023 году — 20 февраля, в 2024 году — 19 февраля.

3. Традиции празднования Дня президентов в США

Традиции празднования Дня президентов в Соединённых Штатах, как и других подобных праздников,  содержат мероприятия, связанные с патриотизмом и памятью. Ещё в своем первоначальном воплощении праздник приобрёл особое значение во время трудностей «Великой депрессии». Тогда портреты первого президента Джорджа Вашингтона часто украшали полосы газет и журналов.

В начале тридцатых годов XX века этот день использовался для восстановления «пурпурного сердца», военного украшения, первоначально созданного Джорджем Вашингтоном в честь солдат, убитых или раненых во время службы. Патриотические группы и бойскауты Америки принимали участие в праздничных мероприятиях. Около 5000 человек посетили мессу в Соборе Святого Патрика в Нью-Йорке в честь Вашингтона в 1938 году.

В настоящее время праздник «День президентов» в США используется многими патриотическими и историческими организациями и коллективами как дата проведения торжеств, публичных церемоний, реконструкций и других мероприятий. Ряд штатов также требуют, чтобы их государственные школы проводили мероприятия, посвящённые этой дате. Учеников знакомят с достижениями президентов, часто с акцентом на правление её первого президента Джорджа Вашингтона (1789—1797 годы). Особое внимание уделяется и шестнадцатому президенту Аврааму Линкольну (1861—1865 годы), который освободил рабов.

В последнее время празднование Дня президентов в Соединённых Штатах — это отличный повод для выражения своих протестов. Активисты в десятках крупных городов страны выходят с различными лозунгами в «День президентов». Например, в 2019 году 18 февраля картонную фигуру Дональда Трампа установили перед Белым домом в знак протеста против объявления им «чрезвычайного положения для обеспечения финансирования строительства стены на границе США и Мексики».

Американский президент-республиканец Дональд Трамп говорит, что «нужна стена для сдерживания нелегальных иммигрантов и нелегальных наркотиков, пересекающих границу». Демократы и «противники стены» говорят, что в этом нет необходимости. Протесты в Чикаго и Вашингтоне собрали по несколько сотен человек. Протестующие, собравшиеся на федеральной площади Чикаго скандировали: «Нет стен, нет страха, иммигранты приветствуются здесь!».

Заметим, что Дональд Трамп считается 45-ым президентом США. Здесь необходимо внести одно важное уточнение. На самом деле, Трам является 44-м человеком, занимающим эту должность.

Дело в том, что президент Гровер  Кливленд занимал должность президента дважды, но с перерывом. Он был 22-ым президентом (1885—1889 годы), а также 24-ым (1893—1897 годы). Он единственный, кто занимал эту должность два срока с перерывом. Между его сроками президентом становился Бенджамин Гаррисон  (1889—1893 годы), который соответственно носит 23-й номер.

Вот такие традиции празднования Дня президентов имеются в США! О других американских праздниках читайте здесь:

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