Presidents’ Day is a US holiday on the third Monday in February. Its official name in federal law is still Washington’s Birthday. It began in 1879 to honour George Washington, born on 22 February 1732, and moved to a Monday in 1971. Many people now use it to remember every president.
Presidents’ Day quick facts
- The holiday’s official federal name is Washington’s Birthday.
- The holiday can never fall on 22 February, Washington’s real birthday.
- Washington’s birthday was first written as 11 February 1731, under the old calendar.
- Alabama honours Thomas Jefferson on the same day as Washington.
- By September 2026 there had been 47 presidencies but only 45 presidents.
Presidents’ Day at a glance
Presidents’ Day is a US holiday held on the third Monday in February. Schools often teach about the country’s leaders, and many families enjoy a long weekend.
But the holiday has a surprise. Under federal law, its real name is not Presidents’ Day at all. It is Washington’s Birthday, and it began as a way to remember the first president, George Washington. This guide explains how the holiday started, why it moved to a Monday and what it celebrates today.
| Presidents’ Day at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Official federal name | Washington’s Birthday |
| When | Third Monday in February |
| Date in 2027 | Monday 15 February |
| First a holiday | 1879, for federal workers in Washington, DC |
| Moved to a Monday | By a 1968 law that took effect in 1971 |
| Washington’s birthday | 22 February 1732 |
What is Presidents’ Day?
Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday. That means government offices close and federal workers have the day off. Many schools also close, and some shops hold sales.
The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which lists the official holidays, says the day always falls on the third Monday in February. In 2026 it was on 16 February. In 2027 it falls on Monday 15 February.
For many people, the day is a chance to learn about American presidents. Some honour George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays both fall in February. Others use it to think about every president.
The holiday’s real name
The OPM says the holiday’s official name in federal law is “Washington’s Birthday”. The name is written in the part of the law that lists holidays for federal workers.
The US National Archives adds that neither Congress nor any president has ever officially changed the name to Presidents’ Day. The new name came from everyday use, not from a law.
States, schools and shops are free to call the day what they like. That is why calendars, adverts and news reports usually say Presidents’ Day, even though the federal name has stayed the same.
How the holiday began
George Washington died in 1799. History.com says his birthday, 22 February, soon became a day when Americans remembered him.
For many years it was not an official holiday. History.com says Senator Stephen Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas was the first to propose making it one.
The US National Archives says that on 31 January 1879, Congress added 22 February to the list of holidays for federal workers in Washington, DC. President Rutherford B. Hayes signed the law.
At first, the holiday covered only workers in the capital. History.com says it was expanded in 1885 to federal workers across the whole country. The National Archives says the 1885 law also made sure federal workers were paid for all federal holidays.
Why the holiday moved to a Monday
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, sometimes called the Monday Holiday Law. The US National Archives says the idea was to move certain holidays to Mondays and give workers more three-day weekends.
History.com says the law took effect in 1971, when Richard Nixon was president. It adds that Representative Robert McClory of Illinois was one of the law’s main supporters.
From 1971 onwards, Washington’s Birthday was held on the third Monday in February instead of on 22 February. Other holidays, such as Memorial Day, moved to Mondays at the same time.
Why it never falls on Washington’s birthday
Here is a curious bit of maths. The third Monday of any February can only land between 15 and 21 February. That means the holiday can never fall on 22 February, Washington’s actual birthday.
History.com points out that four US presidents were born in February. Yet the holiday never lands on any of their birthdays.
It never lands on Lincoln’s birthday either. Lincoln was born on 12 February, which is always a few days before the third Monday.
George Washington’s two birthdays
Washington’s birthday has its own twist. The Miller Center at the University of Virginia says he was born on 22 February 1732 at Pope’s Creek, Virginia.
But The US National Archives explains that when he was born, Britain and its colonies used the old Julian calendar. Under that calendar, his birthday was written as 11 February 1731.
In 1752, Britain and the colonies switched to the Gregorian calendar, the one we use today. The change moved his birthday to 22 February 1732. So Washington’s birthday changed while he was still a young man.
Who was George Washington?
George Washington led the American army in the War of Independence against Britain. You can read that story in our American Revolution facts for kids.
The Miller Center says Washington was elected president unanimously. Every elector voted for him. He was sworn in as the first president on 30 April 1789.
Washington served two terms and left office on 4 March 1797. In his Farewell Address, the Miller Center says, he wrote that the people have the right to make and change their own government.
He died on 14 December 1799 and was buried at Mount Vernon, his home in Virginia. His face now appears on the US one-dollar bill and the quarter coin.
Abraham Lincoln and February
Abraham Lincoln is the other president most linked with February. The Miller Center says he was born on 12 February 1809 in Kentucky.
Lincoln became the 16th president on 4 March 1861. He led the country through the American Civil War. He was assassinated and died on 15 April 1865.
Lincoln’s birthday was already a holiday in some states, such as Illinois, before the Monday law. History.com says many people then began treating the February Monday as a day for both presidents, and later for all of them.
What different states call it
Each state makes its own choice about the day. VPM, a public broadcaster in Virginia, counted the names in 2025. It found that about 34 states include Washington’s name in their holiday laws, and about 19 use some form of “Presidents’ Day”. A few use both.
Some states add other people. VPM and History.com both say Alabama honours Thomas Jefferson on the same day. Arkansas honours Daisy Gatson Bates, a civil rights leader, alongside Washington.
California’s law simply calls it “the third Monday in February”. VPM says 14 states also keep a separate holiday for Lincoln, and Delaware has no presidential holiday at all.
States that honour other presidents
A handful of states have their own holidays for presidents with local links. VPM lists Herbert Hoover in Iowa, Dwight Eisenhower in Kansas and Harry Truman in Missouri.
Texas honours Lyndon Johnson, and Massachusetts honours John F. Kennedy. Each of these presidents has strong ties to the state that remembers him.
Indiana has an unusual choice. VPM says it honours Lincoln with a day off on the day after Thanksgiving, a holiday Lincoln is credited with setting up in 1863.
How many presidents have there been?
Counting presidents is trickier than it sounds. PBS NewsHour reported that Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on 20 January 2025.
But the Miller Center points out that two men have held two separate numbers. Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd and the 24th president. Donald Trump was the 45th president and is now the 47th.
So, as of September 2026, there have been 47 presidencies but only 45 different people have been president. That makes a good trick question for a quiz.
How people mark the day
History.com says people mark the day with historical re-enactments and with learning programmes at schools and museums. Some towns hold parades and ceremonies at statues and monuments.
The day was also used to celebrate Washington long before the Monday law. History.com says portraits of him appeared widely in newspapers and magazines around his birthday during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
February is busy with other important days too. It is also Black History Month in the United States, a time to learn about the achievements of Black Americans.
Presidents’ Day ideas to try
You could make a timeline of the first five presidents, with one fact about each. Or you could look at a coin or a banknote and find out which president appears on it.
Another idea is to write a short speech about what you would do as president. Think about the problems you would want to solve and how you would explain your plan to other people.
Three things people get wrong
“The holiday’s official name is Presidents’ Day.” Under federal law, it is still Washington’s Birthday. The National Archives says Congress has never changed the name.
“The holiday falls on Washington’s birthday.” Since 1971 it has been on the third Monday in February. That Monday can never be 22 February.
“47 different people have been president.” Only 45 people have held the job. Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump are each counted twice, because their terms were not back to back.
Did you know? George Washington was elected president unanimously: every elector voted for him.
Try it
Look at the coins and notes in a purse or wallet. How many presidents can you find, and which ones are they?
Knowledge check
What is Presidents’ Day called in federal law?
Show answer
Washington’s Birthday.
Which law moved the holiday to a Monday?
Show answer
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which took effect in 1971.
Frequently asked questions
When is Presidents’ Day?
Presidents’ Day falls on the third Monday in February each year. In 2027 the holiday is on Monday 15 February.
What is the official name of Presidents’ Day?
Under federal law, the official name is Washington’s Birthday. Congress has never changed it, although most people say Presidents’ Day.
When did Presidents’ Day start?
Congress made 22 February a holiday for federal workers in Washington, DC, in 1879. It spread to federal workers nationwide in 1885.
Why is Presidents’ Day on a Monday?
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved several holidays to Mondays to give workers three-day weekends. The change took effect in 1971.
Which presidents are honoured on Presidents’ Day?
The federal holiday honours George Washington. Many states and schools also use it to remember Abraham Lincoln and every other president.
How many presidents have there been?
As of September 2026, there have been 47 presidencies but 45 people. Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump each served two separate terms.
Sources
- US National Archives: Washington’s Birthday — the 1879 and 1885 laws, the Monday Holiday Law, the unchanged name and Washington’s two birth dates
- US Office of Personnel Management: federal holidays — the official name and the 2026 and 2027 dates
- History.com: Presidents’ Day — the holiday’s origins, the 1971 change and how people celebrate
- VPM: Presidents’ Day, state by state (2025) — what each state calls the day and other state presidential holidays
- Miller Center, University of Virginia: George Washington — Washington’s life and presidency; its Lincoln, Cleveland and Trump pages were also used
- PBS NewsHour: Donald Trump sworn in as 47th president — the 2025 inauguration and the numbering of presidents
