Many schools across the United States are closed today in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is now a national holiday, established to honor the memory of the Civil Rights leader. If your children have the day off, you might find it interesting to share the history of this day with them to teach them why it is celebrated.
Did you know that it took 15 years for this holiday to become official? It was proposed repeatedly until finally being confirmed as a holiday by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The original date it that was proposed was the same as today’s date, January 15. Do you know the significance of the date? It was King’s birthday.
The legislation to make this date a national holiday was changed to state that it should be celebrated on the third Monday of January each year, instead of January 15, but it does still fall on Dr. King’s birthday every few years.
Some states did not like the idea of this holiday, because they believed that the entire Civil Rights Movement should be commemorated instead of just one man. For instance, New Hampshire originally had Civil Rights Day and Utah originally celebrated Human Rights Day. These were changed to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 1999 and 2000 respectively.
In some areas, post offices and banks are closed as well as schools and other government offices. This is generally a paid holiday for government employees. In other areas, school is in session, so it is still not uniformly celebrated throughout the country.
How is this date celebrated in your area? Do you have other interesting facts about this date or the man the holiday was named for to share with your children? Do they know why this day is a holiday? They might just have some facts to share with you.
You may also want to check out FamilyEducation.com for more information and family activities related to this holiday.
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