How to Celebrate Presidents Day

Presidents Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February, which always falls between February 15 and February 22. Since the day falls between the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, most people take the opportunity to honor both men. Others celebrate all presidents on that day. (Technically, the third Monday in February is designated as Washington’s Birthday, but many states recognize it as Presidents Day.) Here are some suggestions for celebrating the presidents: Washington, Lincoln or all of them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Yarn
• Construction paper
• Penny
• Tickets to Alexandria, Va.
• Tickets to Laredo, Texas

Celebrate Washington’s Birthday

1. Bake a cherry pie. Or just eat one. Washington may not ever have chopped down that cherry tree, but why waste a good story—and a chance to eat great pie?
2. Attend the Birthnight Ball in Alexandria, Va. (see link below). In British tradition, the birthday of the ruling monarch was celebrated with a ball. After the Revolution, George Washington’s birthday was celebrated with a Birthnight Ball for several years, and the tradition lives on in Alexandria's Gadsby's Tavern Museum, with costumed actors, a period-inspired meal, and 18th-century-style dancing in the historic ballroom.
3. Celebrate at the oldest and largest Washington Birthday Celebration in the world. It’s held for a whole month each year in Laredo, Texas.
4. Learn to dance a Virginia line dance.

Celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday

5. Read the Gettysburg Address in the quiet of your home (see link below), or volunteer to read the Gettysburg Address at a celebration. Then read more of Lincoln’s writing. Lincoln was a powerful writer and orator.
6. Visit the Lincoln Memorial and Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Take a tour of the Capitol and visit some of the other sites associated with Abraham Lincoln.
7. Visit a Civil War battlefield. Gettysburg is the most well-known, but there are many other national monuments that honor the soldiers who died during the Civil War.
8. Make a Lincoln penny pendant (see link below). Wear it to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday.

Celebrate Presidents Day

9. Hold a Presidents Day coloring contest at your place of business. Award prizes to the winners.
10. Browse the virtual museum or view the video archives at C-SPAN’s "American Presidents" series at the American Presidents Web site (see link below).
11. Read the inaugural addresses of all the presidents (see link below).
12. Hold a "Favorite Presidents Election" in your classroom or place of business.

Tips & Warnings

• You’ll find many teacher's resources and Web sites that offer children’s activities for Presidents Day. Download coloring pages, puzzle pages and worksheets about the U.S. Presidents and the Presidency.