Presidents Day 2025: Exploring its history, significance

Presidents Day is a federal national holiday in the United States, observed annually on the third Monday in February (February 17). The holiday, originally established to honor George Washington's birthday, has evolved over time to celebrate all US presidents.

Presidents Day traces its roots to the commemoration of George Washington’s birthday on February 22. Washington, as the first president of the United States, is a central figure in the nation’s history. The holiday was established in 1885, initially meant to honor his birthday.

However, with the passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968, Presidents Day was moved to the third Monday in February. This shift aimed to provide workers with more three-day weekends and to simplify the scheduling of federal holidays.