Lee-Jackson Day 2020: History and Significance of Lee-Jackson Day, a state holiday in Virginia

Lee-Jackson Day is celebrated on the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day every year. Lee-Jackson Day is a state holiday in Virginia, the United States, to remember two of the Civil War’s Confederate leaders – Robert E Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

Throughout the years, contention has started to encompass this holiday and a few groups and communities never again support this holiday, even though it is a holiday that is as yet celebrated in numerous parts of Virginia.

Lee-Jackson Day History

This holiday is celebrated on the birthday events of two Confederate generals from Virginia, Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.

Robert E. Lee was born on January 19th, 1807 in Westmoreland County, Virginia, to Major General Henry Lee III, Governor of Virginia, and his second spouse, Anne Hill Carter.

Lee was a career soldier, who rose through the positions after West Point to be the commander of the Confederate States Army. He commanded the Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War from 1862 until his give up in 1865. Lee passed on from pneumonia in October 1870.

Thomas Jackson was born on January 21st, 1824 in Clarksburg, Virginia to Julia Beckwith Jackson and Jonathan Jackson, a lawyer.

Jackson is perceived as one of the most skillful strategists of the Civil War, winning the name “Stonewall” after his stand at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861. Jackson passed on in May 1863 from pneumonia which had set in after he had been shot unintentionally by one of his men.

A holiday on January 19th to respect Lee on the anniversary of his birthday was built up in 1889. Jackson was added to the holiday in 1904.

In 1983, the holiday was converged with the new government holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as Lee-Jackson King Day in Virginia. This merger went on until 2000, when Lee-Jackson Day was moved to the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Lee-Jackson Day can be followed back to 1889 when it was only a holiday to remember the birthday of Robert E. Lee. Later on, in 1904, it was likewise used to praise the birthday of Thomas J. Jackson and its name was hyphenated to reflect that reality.

In 1983, the holiday became a part of the festival of Martin Luther King Jr. Day – a day that had quite recently become a Federal holiday. In any case, that decision was turned around in 2000, and Lee-Jackson Day was moved to the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

How to celebrate Lee-Jackson Day?

In certain urban communities in Virginia, Lee-Jackson Day is celebrated throughout the day with parades, public displays of Confederate flags, special visitor speakers, BBQs, lunch get-togethers and Civil War re-establishments.

A few people may utilize the day to go on a day-trip with their family to visit a portion of the Civil War monuments in the commonwealth which remembers Confederate Memorial for Arlington National Cemetery; the bronze statue Appomattox in Alexandria, Virginia; Confederate Monument in Portsmouth, Virginia; Monument Avenue in Richmond; or maybe a visit to Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park.

Since Lee-Jackson Day is a state holiday in Virginia, many state offices are shut. In any case, most schools and organizations stay open on this day. Public transportation may work on a holiday plan, so it’s ideal to check early.

Lee-Jackson Day is part of a four-day weekend for some individuals in Virginia, as the next Monday is Martin Luther King Day. The long weekend allows individuals to get up to speed with loved ones, go on brief breaks, or rest and loosen up from work or studies. The day’s theme is a controversial topic of discussion among certain groups.

A few people visit Robert E Lee’s and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s last home and resting places on this day.

Lee-Jackson Day is a state holiday in Virginia so state workplaces are shut. Numerous schools and organizations (eg. stores) are open. Those anticipating going in the state should check with their local transport authorities on potential revisions to public transport timetables on this day.