Calendar

In honor of Presidents' Day, all Bucks County Government and Court offices are closed on Monday, February 20, 2023. 

Did you know: Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents' Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act*, and now is popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present. 

President's Day, as with Independence Day, though to a lesser degree, is a time of remembrance and patriotic celebration. This was most apparent during the years of the Great Depression, while still celebrated as Washington's Birthday, when every February 22 newspapers and magazines would publish Washington's portrait on their front pages. In 1932, Washington's birthday was also the date the Purple Heart was reinstated as an award given to honor soldiers killed or wounded while serving in the military. The Purple Heart was originally created August 7, 1782 as "The Badge for Military Merit" and known to be given to three soldiers. The award was forgotten until 1927 when General Charles P. Summerall, the U.S. Army chief of staff, sent a draft bill to congress to reinstate it and it was ignored. In 1931 General Douglas MacArthur, hoping to reinstate the medal in time for the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth took up the cause and on February 22, 1932, Washington’s 200th birthday, the U.S. War Department announced the creation of the “Order of the Purple Heart.”

Today, Presidents' Day is included in many school celebrations and clubs such as scouts (boys and girls) as a fun way to teach kids about presidents and their history. It is also a day for historical societies and reenactment groups to perform celebrations and historical interpretations.

*The 1971 Uniform Monday Holiday Act was enacted in an attempt to give the nation's workers more three-day weekends.