President’s Day: Interesting Facts That You May Not Know

President’s Day is one of those holidays that everybody knows about, and a lot of people even get the day off work to spend time with their family. While almost everybody knows that’s it’s a celebration of the great presidents of the United States, most people really don’t know a whole lot more than that.

However, there are some pretty interesting facts about President’s Day that may interest you if you dig a little deeper. Whether you’re having a barbecue or you just want some interesting facts to tell friends, family and co-workers, keep reading to learn more about President’s Day.

• President’s Day was sometimes referred to as Washington Day in the early years. That’s because George Washington was the first president of the United States.
• People actually celebrated G. Washington’s Birthday when he was alive. He even attended some of the events before his death in 1799. Many of these events were held while he was still actually the president of the United States.
• President Rutherford B. Hayes was the one who made President’s Day an official national holiday in the United States. He did this in 1879 and since then it is celebrated every year.
• Cherries are considered the ingredient to cook with for President’s Day because of George Washington. The legend quoted “I can’t tell a lie” when he was questioned about cutting down a cherry tree.
• In the 1980s, retailers started having sales on President’s Day to get rid of old stock. This traditional is still popular in 2015, and many people look forward to President’s Day sales.
• There was an attempt in 1968 to make President’s Day the third Monday in February every month. It failed at first, and then was passed in 1971.
• The Senate reads George Washington’s farewell address every year on President’s Day since 1888.

No matter what you do for President’s Day, knowing these facts will make it more fun. If you have kids, you can even use them to make a fun quiz. Don’t forget the cherry pie though!