President’s Day is one of those holidays that we often overlook. For students and staff, it is simply seen as a much needed day off.

However, you may not know the true meaning behind the break away from class. President’s Day is celebrated to primarily honor presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

But this was not the original intent of the holiday. Here is a little background on the holiday many don’t think about often. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the holiday was fi rst celebrated solely as a tribute to Washington.

In fact, the holiday used to be called Washington’s Birthday and was celebrated on his actual birthday, Feb. 22.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Bill was passed in 1968. It was meant to make sure that there was a record of how many three-day weekends workers had. The holiday used to be celebrated on Feb. 22, 1732 but eventually was changed and, after much debate, the holiday was renamed President’s Day to celebrate both presidents Lincoln and Washington and the many things they had accomplished for the country.

In many different states, there are distinct traditions that choose to honor different events on this day along with the president’s birthday.

For example, according to history.com, Arkansas chooses to celebrate different civil rights activists along with presidents Washington and Lincoln. Schools often take the week leading up to President’s Day weekend to educate children on the many things that Lincoln and Washington have done for the country.

Since President’s Day is now a national holiday, you may have noticed (as much of an inconvenience it may be) that many businesses are closed on that day.

Here is a general list of places that are not open on this holiday. Banks, the post offi ce, schools and NASDAQ are all closed on this holiday.