I just found out that Presidents' Day, celebrated on February 17th in the United States, has quite an interesting history. It turns out it was originally only to commemorate George Washington, but later Abraham Lincoln was also included. The curious thing is that Washington has two birth dates recorded due to the calendar change centuries ago.

What caught my attention is that before 1971, this celebration was held on different dates depending on the state. It was only when federal holiday laws came into effect that they decided to unify it on the third Monday of February. So now it’s a fixed date for the entire country.

In some states like Virginia, it’s called only George Washington Day because that’s where he was born. But in others like Illinois and New York, they keep separate celebrations for each president. The interesting part is that it’s not a very festive holiday; it’s more civic and cultural, with parades, museums, and educational activities.

When this day arrives, banks, courts, and government offices close, but stores usually stay open with sales. Quite different from other federal holidays, right?