The Governor shall annually issue his proclamation designating State Day and calling upon the public schools and citizens of Nebraska to observe said day as a patriotic day. State Day shall be on March 1, annually, unless such day falls on Saturday or Sunday, in which event the Governor may declare the preceding Friday or the following Monday as State Day. In pursuance to said proclamation of the Governor, suitable exercises, having reference to Nebraska pioneers, Nebraska’s natural resources, its history, and the event of the admission of Nebraska as a state to the Union, may be held in all schools of the state, both public and private.