Observed: School in session.

February 12: Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday: Event Description

Wisconsin School Observance Day honoring the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky; assassinated 1865. Observed as a federal holiday (Presidents’ Day) on the third Monday in February. 

Wisconsin Public School Observance Days

Background

Wisconsin’s 21 special observance days are part of state statutes governing general school operations (Wis. Stat. sec. 118.02). Federal law has moved the celebration of many legal holidays to Monday, however, state law recommends that each Wisconsin Special Observance Day be held on the day itself. When an observance day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it should be observed on the preceding Friday or the following Monday.

Honoring observance days can teach the elements of tradition that preserve U.S. society and foster an awareness of our cultural heritage. Observance days can be part of a rich social studies curriculum that gives these individuals and events proper emphasis, both in the context of Wisconsin and U.S. history and in relation to their effect on or improvement of our political, economic, and social institutions.