Presidents' Day, observed on the third Monday in February, is a federal holiday in the United States. Officially named Washington's Birthday, it honors George Washington, but popularly commemorates Abraham Lincoln and sometimes all U.S. presidents.
Celebrations of Washington's birthday (February 22, 1732, under the Gregorian calendar) began informally during his lifetime and grew after his death in 1799. By the early 1800s, it was a day of remembrance across the country.
It became a federal holiday on January 31, 1879, when Congress passed legislation (signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes) making February 22 a holiday for federal employees in Washington, D.C. In 1885, under President Chester A. Arthur, it expanded to all federal offices nationwide.
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the holiday remained fixed on February 22. Lincoln's birthday (February 12) was never a federal holiday but was widely celebrated in many states, especially in the North.
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for workers and boost the economy by standardizing certain holidays on Mondays. This moved Washington's Birthday to the third Monday in February, effective January 1, 1971. (The act also shifted Memorial Day and created a Monday observance for Columbus Day, among other changes.)
A proposal during debates to rename it "Presidents' Day" to honor both Washington and Lincoln failed, so the official name stayed Washington's Birthday. However, the new date falls between Lincoln's (February 12) and Washington's (February 22) birthdays, leading the public—and retailers promoting sales—to adopt "Presidents' Day." Many states now use this name officially, though federally it remains Washington's Birthday.
Today, the holiday features parades, ceremonies (especially in Washington, D.C., and Mount Vernon), school closures, and sales events. It serves as a time to reflect on presidential leadership, with emphasis on Washington's role as the first president and Lincoln's as the preserver of the Union.
It became a federal holiday on January 31, 1879, when Congress passed legislation (signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes) making February 22 a holiday for federal employees in Washington, D.C. In 1885, under President Chester A. Arthur, it expanded to all federal offices nationwide.
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the holiday remained fixed on February 22. Lincoln's birthday (February 12) was never a federal holiday but was widely celebrated in many states, especially in the North.
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for workers and boost the economy by standardizing certain holidays on Mondays. This moved Washington's Birthday to the third Monday in February, effective January 1, 1971. (The act also shifted Memorial Day and created a Monday observance for Columbus Day, among other changes.)
A proposal during debates to rename it "Presidents' Day" to honor both Washington and Lincoln failed, so the official name stayed Washington's Birthday. However, the new date falls between Lincoln's (February 12) and Washington's (February 22) birthdays, leading the public—and retailers promoting sales—to adopt "Presidents' Day." Many states now use this name officially, though federally it remains Washington's Birthday.
Today, the holiday features parades, ceremonies (especially in Washington, D.C., and Mount Vernon), school closures, and sales events. It serves as a time to reflect on presidential leadership, with emphasis on Washington's role as the first president and Lincoln's as the preserver of the Union.
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