Celebrated on the third Monday in February, growing up I had no idea why we celebrated President’s Day. I’m pretty sure they taught us in school, but I must have fallen asleep in class. Most of the time, I saw it as another day off from school. But as I got older, I wanted to know the importance of President’s Day. 

Without doing any research, I thought President’s Day was to honor all our presidents that served our country. This sentiment wasn’t wrong, but I also found out the original reason President’s Day, as we know, exists. 

Now, I won’t bore you with the full history, so I’ll summarize. 

Established in the 1800s, President’s Day initially started out as George Washington’s birthday, February 22. During this time, Washington, our 1st US President, was highly respected and revered. Even after he died in 1799, Washington was a household name. Therefore, the people wanted to honor the first President of The United States by celebrating his life and legacy. President’s Day was on February 22, George Washington’s Birthday. 

However, over the years, the holiday shifted to include Abraham Lincoln, our 16th US President. Lincoln was also born in the same month as Washington on February 12. Both presidents had great legacies and impact on American History. They were both considered some of the most outstanding leaders we’ve ever had as a nation. Thus, President’s Day encompassed both until the late 1960s when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. In the early 2000s, it changed to officially President’s Day, celebrated on the third Monday in February to honor all our presidents.

From the Christian Perspective

I see President’s Day as an opportunity to learn more about our history as a country. One of the saddest things is knowing (including myself) how much we don’t know about our American history. Whenever there is a USA holiday (whether it be an observance or federal/national holiday), I seek to learn more. I don’t want to be ignorant; I want to know who these presidents were, their history, choices, and legacy. 

As I dig, I might find things that I dislike or disapprove. I might find things that surprise me and things that I would fully support. But no matter what, it’s history, and it needs to be known. That’s how we’ll learn from our mistakes when we see where we’ve been. That’s how we keep moving the needle further.

Finally, President’s Day reminds me to pray for our leaders. A nation that drifts away from God cannot stand. A nation that thinks they don’t need God or is bigger than God cannot stand. Look at history— do you remember the Egyptians and the Romans? You can’t beat God. Prayer is needed for our leaders, whether you like them personally or not. President’s Day reminds me that God has blessed America because we have 46 Presidents. We’re still growing as a country, and to succeed, we need God to touch our leaders. Not just the commander in chief but the local leaders as well. 

So this President Day, do it differently. If you have children teach them about President’s Day with a cool art and craft activity. If you’re an adult and you don’t know why we have President’s Day, do some research. Educate yourself and pray. 

At the end of all, don’t forget to thank God for blessings upon this country, my home, America.