Lincoln's Birthday
Abraham Lincoln's Birthday | |
---|---|
Lithograph of Lincoln | |
Official name | Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln |
Observed by | Various U.S. states |
Type | Local |
Significance | To honor Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States |
Date | February 12 |
Next time | February 12, 2025 (2025-02-12) |
Frequency | Annual |
Related to | Presidents' Day |
Lincoln's Birthday is a legal, public holiday in some U.S. states, observed on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth on February 12, 1809, in Hodgenville (Hodgensville, Hodgen's Mill), Kentucky.[1] Connecticut,[2] Illinois,[3] Indiana,[4] Michigan,[5] Ohio,[6] California,[7] Missouri,[8] and New York[9] observe the holiday.
In many other states, Lincoln's birthday is not celebrated separately, as a stand-alone holiday. Instead, Lincoln's birthday is combined with a celebration of President George Washington's birthday (also in February) and celebrated either as Washington's Birthday or as Presidents' Day on the third Monday in February, concurrent with the federal holiday.
History
The earliest known observance of Lincoln's birthday occurred in Buffalo, New York, in either 1873 or 1874. Julius Francis (d. 1881), a Buffalo druggist, made it his life's mission to honor the slain president. He repeatedly petitioned Congress to establish Lincoln's birthday as a legal holiday.[10]
The day is marked by traditional wreath-laying ceremonies at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky, and at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The latter has been the site of a ceremony ever since the Memorial was dedicated. Since that event in 1922, observances continue to be organized by the Lincoln Birthday National Commemorative Committee and by the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). A wreath is laid on behalf of the President of the United States, a custom also carried out at the grave sites of all deceased U.S. presidents on their birthdays. Lincoln's tomb is in Springfield, Illinois.
On February 12, 2009, the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial commemorated Lincoln's 200th birthday in grand fashion. An extended ceremony, organized by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) and with help from MOLLUS, featured musical performances from four-time Grammy-nominated singer Michael Feinstein and the U.S. Marine Corps Band. The morning celebration also featured remarks by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin; Lincoln scholar and ALBC Co-chair Harold Holzer; recently retired Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice – and ALBC Commissioner – Frank J. Williams; and author Nikki Giovanni reciting her newest work, which was written especially for the Bicentennial.
As part of Lincoln's birthday bicentennial, the U.S. Mint released four new Lincoln cents. The commemorative coins have new designs on the reverse showing stages of his life. The first went into circulation on September 12, 2009. The standard portrait of Lincoln's head remains on the front. The new designs include a log cabin representing his birthplace, Lincoln as a young man reading while sitting on a log that he was taking a break from splitting, Lincoln as a state legislator in front of the Illinois Capitol, and the partially built dome of the U.S. Capitol.[11]
New Jersey started observing the holiday on May 23, 2008, with the enactment of the Public Employee Pension and Benefits Reform Act of 2008.[12]
Origin of Black History Month
Black History Month has its origin in 19th-century celebrations of Lincoln's Birthday by African-American communities in the United States.[13] By the early 20th century, black communities were annually celebrating Lincoln's birthday in conjunction with the birthday of former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass on February 14.[13] The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that the second week of February would be "Negro History Week" to coincide with the traditional Black commemorations of both men's birthdays.[13] By the 1970s, "Negro History Week" had become "Black History Month".[13] Black History Month has expanded further to Canada, where it is also celebrated in February, and to the United Kingdom, which celebrates it in October.
Official government holidays
Lincoln's Birthday was never a U.S. Federal Government holiday. The third Monday in February remains only "Washington's Birthday" in federal law.[14] However, many state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday state holiday as "Presidents' Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other such designations which explicitly or implicitly celebrate Lincoln's birthday. Regardless of the official name and purpose, celebrations and commemorations on or about the third Monday often include honoring Lincoln.
In Connecticut, Missouri and Illinois, while Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, Lincoln's Birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week. California still lists Lincoln's Birthday as a holiday,[1] but as of 2009 no longer gives State employees a paid holiday on February 12.[15] However, it is considered a "Court holiday" and state courts are closed.[16]
In the following states, the third Monday in February is an official state holiday and known as:
Using "president"
- Presidents' Day in Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota,[17] Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Washington[18]
- President's Day in Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming
- Presidents Day in Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Oregon
- Washington's Birthday/President's Day in Maine
- Lincoln/Washington/Presidents' Day in Arizona
Washington and Lincoln
- Washington and Lincoln Day in Utah
- Washington–Lincoln Day in Colorado[19] and Ohio[20]
- Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday in Indiana[21]
- Lincoln's and Washington's Birthday in Montana
- Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday in Minnesota[22]
Washington alone
- George Washington Day in Virginia
Washington and another person
- George Washington/Thomas Jefferson Birthday in Alabama[23]
- George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day in Arkansas
Unspecified
- "The third Monday in February" in California.[24]
Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. In New Mexico, Presidents' Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving.[25] In Georgia, Presidents' Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on Christmas Eve. (Observed on the prior Thursday if Christmas falls on Saturday; observed on the prior Friday if Christmas falls on a Sunday. If December 24 is a Wednesday, then this holiday is observed on Friday December 26.)[26]
Cultural references
- In the Ring Lardner short story "Gullible's Travels", a vacationer from Chicago is unaware that Lincoln's Birthday is not observed in Florida.[27]
See also
References
- ^ a b Cal. Gov. Code § 6700(c) Archived 2013-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Connecticut: Legal Holidays and Standard of Time". Cga.ct.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "105 ILCS 5/24-2". Ilga.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ Assembly, Indiana General. "Indiana Code 2017 - Indiana General Assembly, 2017 Session". In.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "Michigan Legislature - Section 435.101". legislature.mi.gov.
- ^ "Section 5.23 - Ohio Revised Code | Ohio Laws". codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ "When is Lincoln's Birthday & Why is it Celebrated? (History)". edarabia.com. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ "State Holidays". Missouri Office of Administration. 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ https://www.nyc.gov/assets/opa/downloads/pdf/2022-list-of-holidays.pdf
- ^ Continelli, Louise. "Lincoln Tribute Places Spotlight on Local Connection." www.buffalonews.com, February 17, 2003
- ^ AP/The Huffington Post. "New Lincoln Pennies Unveiled: See Pictures Of Each Penny" www.huffingtonpost.com, February 12, 2009
- ^ "P.L. 2008, c.89 (S1962 SCS)". Njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d Daryl Michael Scott, "The Origins of Black History Month," Archived 2013-02-14 at the Wayback Machine Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 2011, www.asalh.org/
- ^ 5 U.S.C. § 6103(a)
- ^ "How Abraham Lincoln lost his birthday holiday - National Constitution Center". National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "Court Holidays - CA_courts". www.courts.ca.gov. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
- ^ "404 - North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner". North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
{{cite web}}
: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "RCW 1.16.050". Revised Code of Washington.
- ^ CRS 24-11-101
- ^ "Lawriter : ORC : Excluding first and including last day - legal holidays". codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "SPD: State Holidays". In.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "645.44 - 2017 Minnesota Statutes". Revisor.mn.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "State of Alabama - Inform.Alabama.Gov - State Calendar". inform.alabama.gov. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ Cal. Gov. Code § 6700(a)(5) Archived 2013-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Official State Holidays". New Mexico State Treasurer's Office. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
- ^ "State Holidays". Georgia.gov. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "Gullible's Travels". Gullible's Travels, Etc. Bobbs-Merrill Company. 1917. § II.
External links
- Hannibal Hamlin Proposes Lincoln's Birthday a National Day of Observance 1887 Shapell Manuscript Foundation
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site
- Original Manuscript Letters and Documents written by Abraham Lincoln Shapell Manuscript Foundation
- v
- t
- e
- New Year's Day (federal)
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (federal)
- Birthday of Eugenio María de Hostos (PR)
- Confederate Heroes Day (TX)
- Eve of Three Kings' Day (PR, religious)
- Feast of Epiphany / Feast of Theophany (religious)
- Fred Korematsu Day (AZ, CA, FL, HI, VA)
- Idaho Human Rights Day (ID)
- Inauguration Day (federal quadrennial)
- Kansas Day (KS)
- Makar Sankranti / Pongal (religious)
- Robert E. Lee Day (FL)
- Stephen Foster Memorial Day (36)
- The Eighth (LA)
- Three Kings' Day (PR, VI, religious)
- World Religion Day (religious)
- Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year (NY, cultural, religious)
- Vasant Panchami (religious)
American Heart Month
Black History Month
- Birthday of Luis Muñoz Marín (PR)
- Candlemas (religious)
- Charles Darwin Day / Darwin Day (CA, DE)
- Day of Remembrance (CA, OR, WA, cultural)
- Georgia Day (GA)
- Groundhog Day
- Imbolc (religious)
- Lincoln's Birthday (CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NY, WV)
- National Girls and Women in Sports Day
- National Freedom Day (36)
- Nirvana Day (religious)
- Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (religious)
- Promised Reformer Day (religious)
- Ronald Reagan Day (CA)
- Rosa Parks Day (CA, MO)
- Saviours' Day (religious)
- Susan B. Anthony Day (CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal)
- Tu B’shvat (religious)
- Ash Wednesday (PR, religious)
- Carnival (PR, VI, religious)
- Clean Monday (religious)
- Courir de Mardi Gras (religious)
- Intercalary Days (religious)
- Mahashivaratri (religious)
- Purim (religious)
- Shrove Tuesday (religious)
- Super Tuesday
Irish-American Heritage Month
Colon Cancer Awareness Month
Women's History Month
- Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos (religious)
- Casimir Pulaski Day (IL)
- Cesar Chavez Day (CA, CO, TX, proposed federal)
- Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico (PR, cultural)
- Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA)
- Harriet Tubman Day (NY)
- Hola Mohalla (religious)
- Holi (NY, religious)
- L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (religious)
- Lailat al-Mi'raj (religious)
- Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, VA, cultural)
- Mardi Gras (AL (in two counties), LA)
- Maryland Day (MD)
- Medal of Honor Day
- National Poison Prevention Week (week)
- Nowruz (cultural, religious)
- Ostara (religious)
- Pi Day
- Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (HI)
- Promised Messiah Day (religious)
- Saint Joseph's Day (religious)
- Seward's Day (AK)
- Texas Independence Day (TX)
- Town Meeting Day (VT)
- Transfer Day (VI)
- Trans Day of Visibility (cultural)
- Good Friday (CT, NC, PR, NJ, VI, religious)
- Hanuman Jayanti (religious)
- Holy Thursday (PR, VI, religious)
- Holy Week (PR, religious, week)
- Lazarus Saturday (religious)
- Mahavir Janma Kalyanak (religious)
- Mesha Sankranti / Hindu New Year (religious)
- Palm Sunday (PR, religious)
- Passover (religious, week)
- Easter Monday / Bright Monday (VI, religious)
- Ramnavami (religious)
- Chandramana Uugadi / Souramana Uugadi (religious)
Arab American Heritage Month
Confederate History Month
Asian American and
Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Military Appreciation Month
- Memorial Day (federal)
- Mother's Day (36)
- Cinco de Mayo
- Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh (religious)
- Ascension of Our Lord (religious)
- Caliphate Day (religious)
- Declaration of the Bab (religious)
- Harvey Milk Day (CA)
- International Workers' Day / May Day (CA, unofficial, proposed state)
- Law Day (36)
- Loyalty Day (36)
- Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal)
- Military Spouse Day
- National Day of Prayer (36)
- National Day of Reason
- National Defense Transportation Day (36)
- National Maritime Day (36)
- Peace Officers Memorial Day (36)
- Pentecost (religious)
- Shavuot (religious)
- Truman Day (MO)
- Vesak / Buddha's Birthday (religious)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Pride Month
- Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA)
- Carolina Day (SC)
- Don Young Day (AK)
- Fast of the Holy Apostles (religious)
- Flag Day (36, proposed federal)
- Helen Keller Day (PA)
- Honor America Days (3 weeks)
- Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL)
- Kamehameha Day (HI)
- Litha (religious)
- Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (religious)
- Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA, cultural)
- Senior Week (week)
- Saint John's Day (PR, religious)
- West Virginia Day (WV)
- Asalha Puja Day (religious)
- Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera (PR)
- Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa (PR)
- Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI, cultural)
- Guru Purnima (religious)
- Khordad Sal (religious)
- Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial, cultural)
- Martyrdom of the Báb (religious)
- Parents' Day (36)
- Pioneer Day (UT)
- Puerto Rico Constitution Day (PR)
- Tisha B'Av (religious)
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Labor Day (federal)
- Brazilian Day (NY, cultural)
- California Admission Day (CA)
- Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36)
- Constitution Day (36)
- Constitution Week
- Defenders Day (MD)
- Elevation of the Holy Cross (religious)
- Feast of San Gennaro (NY, cultural, religious)
- Ganesh Chaturthi (religious)
- Gold Star Mother's Day (36)
- His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (religious)
- Mabon (religious)
- National Grandparents Day (36)
- National Payroll Week (week)
- Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos (religious)
- Native American Day (proposed federal)
- Patriot Day (36)
- Von Steuben Day
Hispanic Heritage Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Disability Employment Awareness Month
Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
Filipino American History Month
LGBT History Month
- Columbus Day (federal)
- Halloween
- Alaska Day (AK)
- Child Health Day (36)
- General Pulaski Memorial Day
- German-American Day
- Indigenous Peoples' Day
- International Day of Non-Violence
- Leif Erikson Day (36)
- Missouri Day (MO)
- Nanomonestotse (cultural)
- National School Lunch Week (week)
- Native American Day in South Dakota (SD)
- Nevada Day (NV)
- Spirit Day (cultural)
- Sweetest Day
- Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (religious, week)
- Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day (PR, VI)
- White Cane Safety Day (36)
Native American Indian Heritage Month
- Veterans Day (federal)
- Thanksgiving (federal)
- Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (religious)
- All Saints' Day (religious)
- Beginning of the Nativity Fast (religious)
- Beltane / Samhain (religious)
- Barack Obama Day in Alabama (Perry County, AL)
- D. Hamilton Jackson Day (VI)
- Day after Thanksgiving (24)
- Day of the Covenant (religious)
- Discovery of Puerto Rico Day (PR)
- Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal)
- Family Day (NV)
- Guru Nanak Gurpurab (religious)
- Hanukkah (religious)
- Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial, cultural)
- Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (religious)
- Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA, cultural)
- Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (religious)
- Trans Day of Remembrance (cultural)
- Unthanksgiving Day (cultural)
- Advent Sunday (religious)
- Alabama Day (AL)
- Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (religious)
- Bodhi Day (religious)
- Chalica (religious)
- Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC, PR, VI)
- Day after Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX, VI)
- Festivus
- HumanLight
- Hanukkah (religious, week)
- Immaculate Conception (religious)
- Indiana Day (IN)
- Kwanzaa (cultural, week)
- Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (religious)
- National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36)
- Nativity of Jesus (religious)
- Old Year's Night (VI)
- Pan American Aviation Day (36)
- Pancha Ganapati (religious, week)
- Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR)
- Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (religious)
- Wright Brothers Day (36)
- Yule (religious)
- Zartosht No-Diso (religious)
(federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies