Presidents' Day

Next Monday, people in the United States will celebrate Presidents' Day. Presidents' Day falls on the third Monday of February and it celebrates the birthdays of two presidents of the United States: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

George Washington became the first president of the United States in 1789. Six years before, he led the American troops against Great Britain in the War of Independence (1775-1783). He was an honest and beloved president.

Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States from 1861 to 1865. At that time slavery was something that divided the North and the South of the United States. The people from the South wanted to have slaves, the people from the North were against slavery. The American Civil War broke out. The North won the war.The battle of Gettysburg was decisive for the North. Here, Lincoln gave a famous speech which is now in the minds of all Americans. In this speech, Lincoln referred to the American political system as being a: "government of the people, by the people, for the people". Lincoln was shot on 14 April 1865.

Presidents' Day is a national holiday. People hang their flags outside their homes and kids do different activities and crafts to celebrate this day. Lincoln's hat and the American Eagle are two of the most common images we can see this day.