If you've got the day off for president's day, maybe you should take the day to learn a new skill. Looking for a little inspiration? Here are some talents are past presidents had besides politics, Barack Obama can carry a tune and once even sang a little. Al Green is president. You probably know Bill Clinton played the saxophone most famously on the campaign trail on The Arsenio Hall show, but you might not know that Clinton is also a master crossword puzzle player. Ronald Reagan, of course, was a famous Hollywood actor before he got into politics, and FDR was the only president to be credited as a screenwriter for a 1936 movie called The President's Mystery. Richard Nixon was known for playing the piano, and he could also play the saxophone, clarinet, accordion and violin. Harry Truman loved to play the piano to and always dreamed of being a musician. Unfortunately, even he had to admit he was never very good. And since leaving office, George W. Bush has taken up painting, a talent he shares with Dwight Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter. It just goes to show that it's never too late to learn a new skill, even if you're the president. Happy Presidents Day
This is why we celebrate Presidents Day in February
Updated: 6:26 AM EST Feb 21, 2022
Presidents Day may seem like a chance to shop for some sales and enjoy a long weekend, but when the holiday first started, it had a much deeper meaning. The first incarnation of Presidents Day actually began with George Washington. After his death in 1799, citizens unofficially remembered him on his actual birthday, Feb. 22. According to History, that date became a federal holiday in 1879 for the District of Columbia, and in 1885, the holiday was expanded to the whole country. Things got a little confusing, though, when Congress suggested the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in the late 1960s. This change would move the day of celebration from Feb. 22 to a Monday, in order to create more three-day weekends and hopefully amp up retail sales. The date change also meant that the country could honor Abraham Lincoln on the same day, so both men could be recognized together. Though the government never officially changed its name to Presidents Day, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act forever altered what had formerly been a nod to Washington into a celebration for the presidency in general. Since the law took effect in 1971, nearly half of the states have changed the name to Presidents Day, but some places, like Virginia, Illinois, Iowa and New York, still recognize it as George Washington Day, or something similar, MountVernon.org reports. If you’re still a little confused on some of the ins and outs, here are a few fast facts for you to keep on hand: When is Presidents Day? It's the third Monday in February. This year, it falls on Monday, Feb. 21.Why do we celebrate it? Though it began as a way to honor our first president, George Washington, it later was changed into a holiday that paid homage to the office as a whole. Is Presidents Day a federal holiday? Yes, it is a federal holiday.
Presidents Day may seem like a chance to shop for some sales and enjoy a long weekend, but when the holiday first started, it had a much deeper meaning.
The first incarnation of Presidents Day actually began with George Washington. After his death in 1799, citizens unofficially remembered him on his actual birthday, Feb. 22. According to History, that date became a federal holiday in 1879 for the District of Columbia, and in 1885, the holiday was expanded to the whole country.
Things got a little confusing, though, when Congress suggested the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in the late 1960s. This change would move the day of celebration from Feb. 22 to a Monday, in order to create more three-day weekends and hopefully amp up retail sales.
The date change also meant that the country could honor Abraham Lincoln on the same day, so both men could be recognized together. Though the government never officially changed its name to Presidents Day, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act forever altered what had formerly been a nod to Washington into a celebration for the presidency in general.
Since the law took effect in 1971, nearly half of the states have changed the name to Presidents Day, but some places, like Virginia, Illinois, Iowa and New York, still recognize it as George Washington Day, or something similar, MountVernon.org reports.
If you’re still a little confused on some of the ins and outs, here are a few fast facts for you to keep on hand:
When is Presidents Day?
It's the third Monday in February. This year, it falls on Monday, Feb. 21.
Why do we celebrate it?
Though it began as a way to honor our first president, George Washington, it later was changed into a holiday that paid homage to the office as a whole.
Is Presidents Day a federal holiday?
Yes, it is a federal holiday.
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