Origin of Presidents Day

This year, Presidents’ Day is Monday, February 20!

Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington. It is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the Federal government.

Customarily celebrated on February 22 – Washington’s actual day of birth – the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s “Uniform Monday Holiday Act”, an effort to generate more three-day weekends for the nation’s workforce. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other personalities, Presidents’ Day is now commonly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

Holiday or observance in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.