15 Fun and Surprising Presidents' Day Facts Everyone Should Know

On the third Monday in February, the United States observes a federal holiday that honors all of the nation's presidents. Many people know this because they're waiting for this three-day weekend to find some deals on desk accessories, home gym equipment, and more. However, there are other fun and surprising Presidents' Day facts you should know! 

In essence, Presidents' Day combines a beautiful historic celebration with multiple opportunities to save big, but many are unaware of this holiday's origins and how it's currently celebrated. Fortunately, that's what this article explores! 

Read on to learn some interesting facts about this federal holiday to equip yourself with enough knowledge to succeed at any Presidents' Day trivia! 

What Is Presidents' Day?

Presidents' Day is a federal holiday observed across the U.S. that honors the lives and birthdays of the nation's presidents. However, this celebration was slightly different many years ago. 

In 1885, Presidents' Day was created to honor the birthday of the first U.S. President George Washington on February 22. The federal government officially named this holiday "Washington's Birthday." 

Back then, it was one of the first federal holidays that Congress enacted, giving all federal workers a day off. However, things changed a bit later on. 

In 1971, the date was changed by the Uniform Monday Holiday Law to include Abraham Lincoln's birthday as well. As a result, this holiday is now observed on the third Monday in February, which means it'll fall on a date between the birthdays of both presidents. This fact gave rise to the popular name of this celebration. 

However, Presidents' Day is just one of several holidays that celebrate the nation's leaders and those brave women and men who helped shape the country and fought for people's liberties. The Fourth of July and Memorial Day are some examples of them.

15 Presidents' Day Fun Facts You Should Know

Now that you know what this federal holiday is all about, let's go over some Presidents' Day interesting facts to learn more about this celebration and how it has helped shape Americans' lives. 

After reading this, you won't have to Google "Presidents' Day trivia questions and answers" ​​ever again. You'll learn the most interesting facts about this celebration to show your friends and family that you're really smart. 

1. This Holiday Goes by Many Names

As explained above, this holiday is officially known as Washington's Birthday, as it was originally celebrated on February 22. However, it's currently known as "Presidents' Day" in most states. 

Contrary to popular belief, the government wasn't responsible for this change. Although Congress passed the Monday Holiday Law, changing the date to the third Monday in February, it didn't stipulate that "Presidents' Day" was the new name for this celebration. 

Many people thought that this holiday was an excellent opportunity to honor the lives of all U.S. presidents. This was the actual origin of the popular name. 

Plus, states can address and name this celebration as they see fit. That's why Presidents' Day has other names in other locations. Here are some of them: 

• "Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day" (Arkansas)
• "Washington and Lincoln's Birthday" (Colorado, Ohio, Montana, Minnesota, and Utah)
• "George Washington and Thomas Jefferson's Birthday" (Alabama)
• "Presidents' Day or George Washington's Birthday" since only the birthday of the first U.S. president is celebrated (Massachusetts, Iowa, and Virginia) 

About half of the states have named this federal holiday "Presidents' Day," but not all of them use apostrophes. New Jersey, Oregon, and Nevada don't do it, and another dozen don't agree on whether this punctuation mark should go before or after the s. 

When it comes to "Presidents' Day" interesting facts, this is one of the most surprising, don't you think?

2. Presidents' Day Originally Honored the Nation's First President, But That Changed Over the Years

This is one of the most important Presidents' Day history facts, so pay close attention to the following information. 

As mentioned, Presidents' Day is a federal holiday that traditionally honors the nation's first president George Washington, who became the highest-ranking (six-star) official in American history. It was celebrated on his birthday, February 22. 

However, this celebration later included Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday was on February 12. That's why Presidents' Day always falls on a date between February 12 and February 22, which are the birthdays of both presidents. 

3. Although This Holiday Focuses on Honoring U.S. Presidents, People Do More Things on This Day

Over the years, Presidents' Day has become a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents. However, it's more than just a holiday for many, as this three-day weekend brings an excellent opportunity to save on several products! 

Many stores and retailers offer discounts on this day, especially those that sell mattresses and other items that people may need during the winter. 

If you find a good deal, which is easier than you think, you can buy the best ergonomic chair at a reasonable price or even find a modern office desk for sale!

4. Presidents' Day Is Always Observed on Monday

Although Presidents' Day was initially celebrated on February 22, the date now varies but is always a Monday, specifically the third Monday in February. 

This change resulted from the passing of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act on June 28, 1968. It was passed by Congress to "provide uniform annual observances of certain legal public holidays on Mondays," which took effect in 1971.

5. It's a Federal Holiday for All

Since it's celebrated at a federal level, Presidents' Day is a paid holiday for all federal government employees. That means all workers who belong to this group, including those outside Washington, D.C., can enjoy this day off. 

6. Presidents' Day Never Falls on the Actual Birthday of a President

This is another fun fact about Presidents' Day that you probably didn't know. While this celebration was originally created to honor a president's birthday, it'll never fall on a president's actual birthday again. 

Since the Uniform Monday Holiday Law went into effect, Presidents' Day has been observed in February. Besides George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, two other U.S. presidents have birthdays this month. These are Ronald Reagan (February 6) and William Henry Harrison (February 9). 

However, since this holiday is set by law for the third Monday in February, the earliest it can occur is February 15 and the latest is February 21, which means it'll never fall on any of those presidents' birthdays.

7. Presidents' Day Became a Federal Holiday in 1879

Presidents' Day was signed into law on February 22, 1879, by President Rutherford B. Hayes. A year later, it was implemented and applied to District federal workers only. 

However, this holiday was extended to federal workers in 38 states five years later, specifically in 1885. 

8. Presidents' Day Was Signed Into Law in 1879, but the History of this Important Celebration Begins in 1800

Although this holiday was signed into law in 1879, the history of the Presidents' Day celebration began almost a century earlier. After Washington died in 1799, his birthday became a day of remembrance. 

George Washington was widely venerated as an important figure in the country's history. Additionally, many events were held on February 22, including the centennial of his birth in 1832 and the start of the Washington Monument construction in 1848. 

As a result, many people started to associate this date with national celebrations. Later, in 1862, Lincoln issued a proclamation to declare Washington's February 22 birthday as a day of celebration to honor the nation's first president. 

9. It's the First Federal Holiday to Celebrate a Person's Birthday

One of the most interesting Presidents' Day history facts is that it's the first federal holiday to celebrate and honor a person's birth date.

10. Presidents' Day Honor the Most Popular President in American History

Besides breaking a record by receiving the only six-star ranking in the country's history, Washington was the most popular U.S. president, becoming the only one to have been unanimously chosen for this position. He was elected with 69 of the 69 first-round votes. 

George Washington was also one of two presidents who signed the United States Constitution as part of the Constitutional Convention, demonstrating that he played a key role in achieving the freedoms that U.S. citizens enjoy today. The other one was James Madison. 

11. Some States Don't Officially Observe This Holiday

In some states, the birthdays of Washington and other presidents aren't officially celebrated. Delaware is one of them, so it doesn't commemorate this date as a federal holiday. 

12. Several States Honor Presidents with Other Official State Holidays that Don't Fall on the Third Monday in February

Although many states have holidays honoring presidents, they don't always fall on the third Monday in February.

Massachusetts celebrates Washington's birthday on this date, but there's a law that requires the governor to issue an annual "Presidents' Day" proclamation on John F. Kennedy's birthday, which is May 29. 

On this day, this state honors presidents with Massachusetts roots, which are: 

• John F. Kennedy
• John Quincy Adams
• John Adams
• Calvin Coolidge 

California, Florida, Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Michigan celebrate Lincoln's Birthday as a separate state holiday on February 12. 

In Missouri, both presidents' birthdays are celebrated, but Lincoln's Birthday falls on the Monday closest to February 12, which is always the one preceding Washington's Birthday. 

New Mexico doesn't observe Presidents' Day in February but on the Friday following Thanksgiving as a state-government paid holiday. In Indiana, Washington's Birthday is celebrated on Christmas Eve or the day before the weekend if Christmas falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Lincoln's Birthday is celebrated the day after Thanksgiving. 

In Georgia, Washington's Birthday was officially celebrated on Christmas Eve, but this changed in 2018. It isn't a state-government paid holiday. 

13. Cherry Pie Is the Food Associated With This Holiday

Traditionally, the food associated with Presidents' Day is cherry pie. Eating this delicious dessert is common on this date because many people remember the story of Washington chopping down a cherry tree in his youth.

14. Corporate Businesses Used to Close on This Day But Now They're Joining the Discount Extravaganza

In the past, corporate businesses used to close on Presidents' Day. However, this changed in the late 1980s when the celebration was moved to a Monday. 

Now, most stores, retailers, and other businesses remain open and offer promotions. This is one of the Presidents' Day interesting facts you like the most, right?

15. Some Schools, Universities, and Colleges Close on Presidents' Day

Finally, the last fun fact about Presidents' Day is that some educational institutions close on this day. At universities and colleges, class schedules vary, but most public elementary and secondary schools close. 

New York City and other school districts may close for an entire week as this holiday approaches. This is often known as a "mid-winter recess."

What do you think? Do you believe this information will help you know all the "Presidents' Day trivia" questions and answers to defeat your friends and family at the next game night? 

Well, there's another important thing you should learn about this holiday: where to find the best deals. 

Celebrate Presidents' Day with Autonomous

As mentioned in the previous list of Presidents' Day fun facts, this day presents people with the opportunity to purchase several products at discounted prices. 

Since this is the age of technology, and most people are looking for equipment and accessories to create the ideal work or gaming station, Autonomous is one of the best stores to look for Presidents' Day deals. 

Are you looking for a standing desk? Do you want to find a store with a high-quality computer chair for sale? Learn more about what this store offers below! 

Products You Can Find at Autonomous

Autonomous specializes in products and accessories for offices and work-from-home setups. That means you can find an office chair for sale at a good price on Presidents' Day. 

However, this store also offers items in other categories. You can even purchase a prefab ADU if you need extra housing space! 

These are some examples of what you can buy from this brand: 

• Smart and standard desks
• Ergonomic chairs
• Pods or tiny homes
• Office accessories, such as cable trays, lamps, CPU holders, and filing cabinets
• Fitness equipment, such as under-desk exercise bikes and treadmills
• Wall shelves
• Gaming desk pads
• Bluetooth speakers
• Monitors
• Sofas with cushions
• Air purifiers
• Robot vacuum cleaners
• Sun loungers
• Outdoor dining sets
• And more! 

Autonomous has reinforced its commitment to helping customers save by offering great discounts all year round. Currently, those who sign in with their work email can save up to 25% off. 

Additionally, the brand has a program that offers discounts to customers who purchase furniture and other products in bulk.

Final Thoughts

Besides being a special occasion to honor the nation's leaders, there are many Presidents' Day facts that make this day interesting and fun. One of them is that stores and other businesses, such as Autonomous, offer excellent deals, so this celebration can also bring good opportunities to buy that office chair you need.