Washington Monument in Washington,. D.C., to commemorate his name. In 1880, Congress made the day a federal holiday, the
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Background Information This holiday originated with our first president, George Washington. The practice of honoring Washington’s birth actually began before his presidency. The first celebration, prompted by his military leadership, was held on February 11, 1782, at his Valley Forge headquarters. Because he was born before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, it wasn’t until 1796 that the date of February 22 became accepted as his birthday. The observances grew over the years, with the first public celebration occurring in New York in 1784. During his years of presidency, 1789–1796, the observance became formalized. Congress passed a resolution after Washington’s death on December 14, 1799, that February 22 would be a day of mourning. John Adams continued this observance during his presidency. In 1832, the centenary of Washington’s birthday prompted more attention to the date, and 1932 saw even more honors in terms of streets and public buildings named after him.
Thirty‑two states have Washington counties. And of course, there is the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., to commemorate his name. In 1880, Congress made the day a federal holiday, the first to honor an individual. In 1968, Congress introduced the notion of the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which meant that observances such as Washington’s Birthday would extend a weekend through Monday. During the debate of the bill, Congress discussed expanding the bill to include Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, which was not celebrated in every state. The final bill was limited to Washington’s Birthday. Over time, the day became known as Presidents’ Day, and people have come to think of the day as a joint celebration. However, in a few states, Lincoln’s birthday is also celebrated.
Recommended Books Fritz, Jean. 1977. Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George? New York: Putnam. Fritz, Jean. 1997. Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution. New York: Puffin. Harness, Cheryl. 2006. George Washington. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Children’s Books. Schanzer, Rosalyn. 2004. George vs. George: The Revolutionary War as Seen by Both Sides. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Children’s Books.
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Fascinating Facts
History
• George Washington’s birthday changed by 11 days because the calendar changed.
• George Washington was president from 1789 to 1796. He was our first president. Washington is called the “Father of Our Country.”
• George Washington’s birthday was first celebrated on February 11, 1782. He was not president yet. But he was famous because of the Revolutionary War. He was a brave leader. • George Washington died in 1799. The next year, his birthday was made a day of mourning. President John Adams continued the honor. • There are more than 120 post offices named after Washington. • There are 32 states with a Washington County. • Our nation’s capital is named after George Washington. It is called Washington, D.C. • The Washington Monument is just over 555 feet high. It is the world’s tallest obelisk. An obelisk is a tall structure with four sides. It has a pyramid-like shape at the top.
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• Congress made Washington’s birthday a holiday in 1880. • Congress moved the holiday to the third Monday of February in 1968.
A Big Fat Lie! There is a famous story about George. When he was little, he chopped down a cherry tree. His dad asked him about it. George said, “I cannot tell a lie.” But here’s the truth. This never happened! A man named Parson Weems wrote a short book about George. The book sold well. But he wanted to sell even more. So he made the book longer by adding new stories. But the stories were made up!
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Presidents’ Day
Name_________________________________________ Date ____________________
Mixed-Up Presidents’ Day Directions: Use page 67 to help you unscramble the words below. Then unscramble the circled letters to answer the question. 1. dentsipre
2. mmounnte
p r e s i d e n t 3. stop
ceffoi
4. lanredca
5. dyabrith
6. rryehc erte
7. raw
8. grconsse
9. City where the president resides:
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Presidents’ Day
Name_________________________________________ Date ____________________
All About Washington Directions: Use page 67 to help you complete the puzzle below.
5
6
8
7
1
2
4
3
9
10
Across
Down
4. number of days Washington’s birthday has changed 6. These letters stand for District of Columbia. 8. last name of our first president 9. first name of our first president 10. month of Presidents’ Day
1. The last name of another president born in February 2. name of the war Washington fought in 3. last name of the man who wrote about Washington 5. day of the week of Presidents’ Day 7. The kind of tree he did NOT chop down
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Presidents’ Day
Name_________________________________________ Date ____________________
George Washington Said… Directions: George Washington gave some good advice. Can you figure out this sentence? Each number stands for a letter. Solve the problems. Then write that letter in the blank above each number. A
F
20 – 14 =
O
30 – 22 =
B
20 – 2 =
H
20 – 13 =
17
26
14
17
18
18
8
20
23
9
22
8
Z
30 – 16 =
7
14
40 – 17 =
S
40 – 25 =
26
X
30 – 11 =
N
40 – 20 =
30 – 9 =
R
30 – 29 =
E
W
20 – 7 =
M
40 – 28 =
30 – 8 =
Q
30 – 4 =
D
U
30 – 6 =
I
30 – 21 =
20 – 3 =
P
25 – 20 =
C
T
20 20
17 19
20
17
5
30 – 5 =
17
20
15
18 6
19
15
. 6
70
7
6
12
18
15
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Presidents’ Day
Name_________________________________________ Date ____________________
Presidents’ Day Word Puzzles Directions: Each puzzle has something to do with George Washington or the United States. Write the saying under each puzzle. USbornA 1.
2.
+
y
3.
t+
− sh a l +
Directions: Each word can be made into a new word about our first president or our country. Write the new word on the line. 4. raw ______________________ w
5. anoint ____________________ n
6. hafter ____________________ f
7. tastes ____________________ s
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Presidents’ Day
Name_________________________________________ Date ____________________
Washington Sketch Directions: Look at the picture below. Use the numbers in the grid to make your own picture.
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Presidents’ Day
Campaign Poster Directions: Make a campaign poster about one of our presidents.
Materials • construction paper • markers or crayons
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