Cesar Chavez Day is a U.S. federal commemorative holiday

Cesar Chavez Day is a U.S. federal commemorative holiday, proclaimed by President Barack Obama in 2014. In California state offices and schools will be closed on that day. It is considered a formal holiday in Arizona, Washington, and Utah, but César Chávez Day is not a federal holiday. A federal holiday is a day set aside by the United States government to celebrate or commemorate a significant event, while a federal commemoration holiday is a day to remember the sacrifices of fallen heroes.

The holiday celebrates the birth and legacy of the civil rights and labor movement activist Cesar Chavez on March 31 every year. Many service commissions organize service activities on this day. César Chávez was a fighter for Latino civil rights, especially those of migrant farm workers. Born to Mexican parents in Yuma, Arizona in 1927, Chávez left school in 8th grade and experienced the hardships of farm labor. “There’s no turning back … We will win. We are winning because ours is a revolution of mind and heart.”