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| Long title | An act to provide for uniform annual observances of certain legal public holidays on Mondays, and for other purposes. |
|---|---|
| Enacted by | the90th United States Congress |
| Effective | January 1, 1971 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 90–363 |
| Statutes at Large | 82 Stat. 250 |
TheUniform Monday Holiday Act (Pub. L. 90–363, 82 Stat. 250, enactedJune 28, 1968) is anAct of Congress that permanently moved twofederal holidays in the United States to a Monday, beingWashington's Birthday andMemorial Day, and further madeColumbus Day a federal holiday, also permanently on a Monday. This created long weekends with three days off ending with the holidays, such asMemorial Day Weekend.
Veterans Day was moved from November 11 to the fourth Monday in October, but in 1978, it was returned to November 11, theactual date of the end ofWorld War I and celebrated in several European countries asArmistice Day.
The Act was signed into law on June 1, 1968, and took effect on January 1, 1971.[1]
The Act was designed to increase the number oflong weekends for federal employees, a favorite goal of the travel industry.[2] Veterans Day was removed from this list of "always-on-Monday" holidays when it was moved back to itstraditional date of November 11, by act of Congress in 1975,[3] effective 1978.
This Act did not officially change the name ofWashington's Birthday to "Presidents Day", nor did it combine Washington's Birthday withLincoln's Birthday, despite suggestions that those two changes be made.[4] Many U.S. states have adopted some version of the "Presidents Day" name. The perception that the name was changed stems from the fact that the act placed federal observance of Washington's Birthday in the week of February 15 to 21 and, since that week always falls between Lincoln's birthday (February 12) and Washington's (February 22), but never includes either date, popular references have given rise to the title, which recognizes both Presidents.[1][2] As of 1998,[update] a dozen U.S. states officially refer to the holiday as "Presidents' Day."[4] Lincoln's Birthday holiday with very limited exceptions is no longer observed at all, at least on its actual date, though some states combine it with Washington's Birthday.
Though the holiday was not in existence at the time,Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, which was established in 1983 and first observed in 1986, is celebrated on the third Monday in January, which falls on January 15–21, instead of King's actual birth date, January 15, for the same reasons.[5]
The Monday holiday dates this act established were:
Also celebrated on Monday:
