アメリカでは明日、2014/2/17はいわゆる"大統領の日"でお休みです♪ 正確には2月の第3月曜日とされています。
ところで皆さん、President's Day、Presidents' Day、どちらかご存知でしたか?
実は私はずっと、"President's Day"だと思っていました～ 今回この記事を書くためにいろいろ調べていて、疑問として湧いて来ました。
おそらく、正式名称はあくまでも、"Washington's Birthday"、通称として"Presidents' Day"というのが一般的な解釈のようですね。
Nixon時代に変化 下記はHistoryチャネルのページからの抜粋です。もともとは建国のヒーロー初代大統領のジョージ・ワシントンの誕生日を祝っていたのを、Nixon大統領の時代に歴代の大統領を祝うという風に趣向を変えたようですね。
つまり一般的にはPresident's DayからPresidents' Dayとなったようです。Lincoln大統領も人気が高かったようですが、誕生日が近くてよかったですね♪
(前略)
Presidents’ Day: Transformation While Nixon’s order plainly called the newly placed holiday Washington’s Birthday, it was not long before the shift to Presidents’ Day began. The move away from February 22 led many to believe that the new date was intended to honor both Washington and Abraham Lincoln, as it now fell between their two birthdays. Marketers soon jumped at the opportunity to play up the three-day weekend with sales, and “Presidents’ Day” bargains were advertised at stores around the country.
この話は他にもいくつかのサイトで検証できました。
正式にはWashington's Birthday下記はWikiの米国の国民祝日の項から抜粋です～ 公式的な名称はWashington's Birthdayなんですね♪
DateOfficial NameRemarksThird Monday in February (Presidents' Day)February 22nd Washington's Birthday
Washington's Birthday was first declared a federal holiday by an 1879 act of Congress. The Uniform Holidays Act, 1968, shifted the date of the commemoration of Washington's Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February (between February 15 and 21, meaning the observed holiday never falls on Washington's actual birthday). Because of this, combined with the fact that President Lincoln's birthday falls on February 12, many people now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. However, neither the Uniform Holidays Act nor any subsequent law changed the name of the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents' Day.[10]
Public holidays in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia より抜粋 傑作なのが
下記リンクはホワイトハウスの公式ページのものですが,これはPresident's Dayですね(笑)。写真は一軒の価値があります～
Photo Gallery: Celebrating President's Day | The White House
Photo Gallery: Celebrating President's Day | The White House
www.whitehouse.gov › Photos & Videos
Check out the President's Day gallery that includes the pages from George Washington's first inaugural address and other inaugural moments from 13 Presidential Libraries. George Washington's personal copy of the Acts of Congress.Presidents Day - When is Presidents Day? - Family Technology
familyinternet.about.com/.../holidayfun/.../presidentsda...
U.S. Presidents Day, officially known as Washington's Birthday, is a federal holiday in the United States and is celebrated on the third Monday of February. In 2011, Presidents Day falls on February 21. Although it has become known as a great ...
下記 は上記の最も確からしい通説のものと同じですが、けっこう面白かったです。
Presidents'Day or Washington's Birthday? | FactMonster.com
Find out when Washington's birthday and President's Day are and facts about each.
