Washington’s Birthday is the federal holiday; the United States Code, Title 5, Section 6103, lists “Washington’s Birthday” as a legal public holiday, observed on the third Monday of February. It is also the official name for some state holidays on the third Monday in February.
Lincoln’s birthday was never celebrated at the federal level, but is at the state level in certain states, such as Illinois and Connecticut.
Presidents’ Day is an official state holiday in certain states, such as Pennsylvania and California (although the location of the apostrophe varies — President’s Day or Presidents’ Day or Presidents Day.)
In 1968, Rep. Robert McClory attempted to change “Washington’s Birthday” to “Presidents’ Day,” but the idea wasn’t accepted. The observance was, however, changed to the third Monday in February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill. This bill moved the observance of Washington’s birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February, starting in 1971. Because of this, many thought that the newly moved holiday was to honor both presidents, or all presidents. Some states even changed the name to Presidents’ Day. “Presidents’ Day” was picked up by retailers as well, and it became a widely accepted name due in part because the date was so close to both Lincoln’s and Washington’s actual birthdays.
Lincoln’s birthday was never a holiday at the federal level, but several states did, and still do, celebrate it. When new holidays were introduced at the federal level, some states moved to remove Lincoln’s birthday from the list of state observances in favor of others, or combined it with Washington’s birthday on the third Monday in February (usually renaming it Presidents’ Day), or some other combination.
Because the federal and state level of holiday observances can vary, it has led to much confusion!
It is certainly a convoluted topic!
In 1968, Rep. Robert McClory attempted to change “Washington’s Birthday” to “Presidents’ Day,” but the idea wasn’t accepted. The observance was, however, changed to the third Monday in February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill. This bill moved the observance of Washington’s birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February, starting in 1971. Because of this, many thought that the newly moved holiday was to honor both presidents, or all presidents. Some states even changed the name to Presidents’ Day. “Presidents’ Day” was picked up by retailers as well, and it became a widely accepted name due in part because the date was so close to both Lincoln’s and Washington’s actual birthdays.
Lincoln’s birthday was never a holiday at the federal level, but several states did, and still do, celebrate it. When new holidays were introduced at the federal level, some states moved to remove Lincoln’s birthday from the list of state observances in favor of others, or combined it with Washington’s birthday on the third Monday in February (usually renaming it Presidents’ Day), or some other combination.
Because the federal and state level of holiday observances can vary, it has led to much confusion!