Presidents’ Day for students may just be a day off school, but for others it’s an opportunity to remember and honor both past and present presidents of the United States. For Tristan Wright, a freshman majoring in finance from Utah, Presidents’ Day was an excuse to spend time with friends and relax from the grind of school. “I honestly have no idea what the history of the day is, but I spent my Presidents’ Day hanging out with my friends in town,” said Wright.The holiday, according to the History Channel, was established in 1885 in honor of President George Washington. Although it is still called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government, Americans recognize the birthdays of other presidents and historical figures by celebrating on the third Monday in February.“Presidents’ Day started when President Nixon decided to set aside a day to honor past presidents, specifically Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are in February,” said Nathan McDonald, a senior in EXS from California.In a “Time” Magazine’s article “A Brief History of (What You Think Is) Presidents’ Day,” it says the holiday used to fall on Feb. 22 every year. Congress attempted to create more long weekends for the American labor force and resulted in the move of the holiday to its current place in February. States that previously celebrated Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12, Reagan’s on Feb. 6, and the “short-lived” President William Henry Harrison were able to combine the festivities into one day.“All I know about Presidents’ Day is that those kind gentleman have given me a holiday to enjoy my life,” said Nick Bramwell, a senior majoring in supply chain and operations from Hawaii. “I spent my evening working on projects, reflecting on how patriotic Pounders Beach is.”Despite the change of the holidays’ name in advertisements, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management of 2012 holidays for federal workers listed it as “Washington’s Birthday,” according to “Why you should stop calling today Presidents’ Day,” on CSM.com.While some stores close nationwide in celebration of Presidents’ Day, most draw in the crowds with retailer’s sales. The U.S. Post Office typically closes, along with federal banks, which have the option of following suit.Students took advantage of the day off of school to travel off-island. “For the weekend, I flew to Utah to be in my best friend’s wedding. It was fun to finally meet the girl he was going to marry and to spend time with close friends,” said McDonald of his Presidents’ Day weekend.
Writer: Hailey Gardiner~Multimedia Journalist
