Robert E. Lee Day Explained

Holiday Name:Robert E. Lee Day
Type:Local
Nickname:Lee's Birthday
Longtype:State holiday
Significance:Confederate General in Chief's birthday
Week Ordinal:third
Weekday:Monday
Month:January
Scheduling:Every third Monday in January
Duration:1 day
Frequency:Annual
Mdy:yes

Robert E. Lee Day is a state holiday in parts of the Southern US, commemorating the Confederate general Robert E. Lee.[1] It is rooted in the rise of the Lost Cause myth prevalent throughout the Southern United States, as Lee was a central figure in Lost Cause mythology due to his social status, military exploits, and personality.[2]

Current observances

In Tennessee, January 19 (Lee's birthday) was established as a holiday in 1917. In 1969, it was changed to a "special day of observation" in the state. Since then, state law requires the governor to proclaim each January 19 "Robert E. Lee Day".[3] [4]

Texas made "Lee Day" a holiday in 1931.[5] In 1973, "Lee Day" was renamed Confederate Heroes Day.[6]

Florida Statute 683.01(d) marks January 19 as Robert E. Lee Day, although no offices or schools close down for it.[7]

Alabama[8] and Mississippi[9] [10] observe it on the third Monday in January, in order to split the date with the federal holiday Martin Luther King Jr. Day.[11]

Past observances

Arkansas combined the observance of Robert E. Lee Day with Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1985, after two years of requiring state employees to select between the two holidays or their own birthday as a day off from work.[12] In 2017, it passed a law removing General Lee's name from the January holiday; the law also established a state memorial day on the second Saturday of October in honor of Lee.[13]

Virginia observed a holiday honoring Lee on January 19 from 1889 until 1904, at which time Stonewall Jackson was added to the observance and the holiday renamed Lee–Jackson Day. The combined holiday was observed on the Friday preceding the third Monday in January. In 1983, the holiday was merged with Martin Luther King Jr. Day when the latter became a federal holiday. In 2020, with a Democratic governor and both houses of the state legislature controlled by Democrats, the observance of Lee–Jackson Day was abolished.[14]

Georgia formerly called the Friday after Thanksgiving Robert E. Lee Day; now it is only an unnamed paid holiday.[15]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: Sports of the Times: Dr. King and the Super Bowl. November 10, 1990. The New York Times. May 22, 2010 . Ira . Berkow.
  2. Web site: Memorialization of Robert E. Lee and the Lost Cause - Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (U.S. National Park Service) . www.nps.gov . National Park Service . 20 June 2023 . en . 14 September 2021.
  3. Web site: Tennessee Gubernatorial Proclamation of January 3, 2013.
  4. Allison, Natalie (July 12, 2019). "Gov. Bill Lee Signs Nathan Bedford Forrest Day Proclamation, Is Not Considering Law Change." The Tennessean (Tennessean.com). Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  5. Web site: TEXAS CONFEDERATE HEROES DAY AND CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY . Texas Division United Daughters of the Confederacy . “House Bill 126, 42nd Legislature Regular Session. Chapter 8. Approved and Effective January 30, 1931 as Robert E. Lee's Birthday.; Senate Bill 60, 63rd Legislature Regular Session. Chapter 221. Approved June 1, 1973 and Effective August 27, 1973 as Confederate Heroes Day. This bill deleted June 3rd as a holiday for Jefferson Davis' birthday and combined the two into Confederate Heroes Day.”.
  6. Web site: Rodriguez. Jakob. Gray. Japhanie. 16 November 2022. What is Confederate Heroes Day and why do Texans still celebrate it today? . KSAT - Omne - Graham Media Group . 19 January 2021.
  7. Web site: Company . Tampa Publishing . Today in Florida, it's Robert E. Lee Day . Tampa Bay Times . 13 September 2021 . en . 19 January 2016.
  8. Little. Becky. The Controversial History of Martin Luther King Day. https://web.archive.org/web/20210516225851/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/martin-luther-king-jr-day-robert-e-lee-birthday-holiday . dead . May 16, 2021 . subscription. National Geographic. 13 January 2017. 16 November 2022. Three states celebrate civil rights leader Martin Luther King and Civil War General Robert E. Lee on the same day..
  9. News: Holpuch. Amanda. Mississippi city faces backlash after calling MLK Day 'Great Americans Day'. 16 January 2017. The Guardian. 14 January 2017. London . New York. The incident, however, highlighted an awkward truth about Mississippi’s Martin Luther King Jr Day: that it is also Robert E Lee Day..
  10. Web site: January 17, 2023 . Mississippi State Holidays . January 17, 2023 . ms.gov . Mississippi Secretary of State.
  11. Web site: Governor: Right to split King, Lee day . Magnolia Banner News . 17 January 2023 . en . 18 January 2017.
  12. Web site: Arkansas Ends Robert E. Lee-Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. March 22, 2017. Associated Press. NBC News. 16 November 2022.
  13. News: Arkansas lawmakers vote to remove Robert E. Lee from holiday honoring MLK. Associated Press. March 17, 2017. Politico. 19 April 2017.
  14. Web site: Rankin . Sarah . Va. Lawmakers Pass Bill Ending Lee-Jackson Holiday . NBC4 Washington . 21 June 2023 . 24 February 2020.
  15. News: Bluestein . Greg . Why today is no longer Robert E. Lee day in Georgia . https://web.archive.org/web/20180823005848/https://politics.myajc.com/blog/politics/why-today-longer-robert-lee-day-georgia/e7K69cQ6r8uheqdn1if5QI/. 23 August 2018 . . November 24, 2017.

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