Every year in the middle of Feb., President’s Day is celebrated to honor past U.S. presidents. When exactly is President’s Day? This year it is celebrated on Monday, Feb. 19.
What is President’s Day?
Officially known as Washington’s Birthday, the first federal holiday of the year was originally meant to honor the country’s first president, George Washington. This day is sometimes known as the celebration of the birthdays and lives of all the U.S. presidents.
The origin of President’s Day dates back to the 1880s following the death of Washington in 1799 when his birthday was first celebrated as a federal holiday. During 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays.
Initially this bill was passed to schedule certain holidays so that workers had a number of long weekends throughout the year, but it had sparked a lot of debate as others felt that these holidays should be celebrated on the day they actually honor. During debate on the bill, it was proposed that Washington’s Birthday be renamed President’s Day to honor the birthdays of both Washington (Feb. 22) and Lincoln (Feb. 12).
When the bill went into effect in 1971, President’s Day became the commonly accepted name. President’s Day is usually honored by public ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country.
What’s Closed on President’s Day
Due to President’s Day being a federal holiday, the post office will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery. Additionally, most banks will be closed. The New York Stock Exchange markets, Nasdaq, and other markets will be closed in observance of President’s Day. Government offices and services will also be closed. Most retail and grocery stores will be open, however, as they do not always close on federal holidays.
School Vacations
Mid-winter recess is always observed in February following President’s Week. Schools remain closed from Monday until the following Monday. Many students and staff use this opportunity to catch up on sleep, or even go on a nice family vacation. Although things are closed on Monday, everything is open for the rest of the week.