Presidents Day is celebrated in the U.S. on the third Monday of February, a day set aside to commemorate the birthdays of both President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln.
Over the years, the federal holiday has shifted into a commercial event, with many retailers offering sales on Presidents Day to tempt shoppers to open their wallets after the Christmas holidays.
That occurred after Presidents Day was shifted permanently to the third Monday in February in the early 1970s, creating a permanent three-day weekend. As a result, sales campaigns soared, historian C. L. Arbelbide wrote in the National Archives’ Prologue magazine in 2004.
“For advertisers, the Monday holiday change was the goose that laid the golden ‘promotional’ egg,” Arbelbide noted. “Using Labor Day marketing as a guide, three-day weekend sales were expanded to include the new Monday holidays.”
Here’s what to know about Presidents Day, which falls on February 19 this year, including what’s open and closed.
What is Presidents Day?
The official name of the Presidents Day holiday is Washington’s Birthday, created to mark George Washington’s Feb. 22, 1732 birthday.
Over the years, the holiday has come to be known informally as Presidents Day. Arguments have been made to honor President Lincoln as well because his birthdate falls nearby, on February 12.
A small number of states, including Illinois, observe Lincoln’s birthday as a public holiday, according to the Library of Congress. And some commemorate both Lincoln and Washington on Presidents Day.
But on the federal level, the day is still officially Washington’s Birthday.
Is Presidents Day a federal holiday?
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