Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of February. It was 
originally established in 1885 in recognition of George Washington, and it is still
officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22, Washington’s actual birth date, the holiday became
known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday
Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s
workers.

While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of
Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now
popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.