What is Presidents Day? Why it's celebrated and how it started

Presidents Day is fast approaching. Some in the nation will celebrate the highest office in the land on Monday but many are really looking forward to a long weekend and holiday deals.

The holiday was originally intended to celebrate George Washington, the first president, but it has come to encompass the 45 men who have held the office since.

Here's what you need to know about Presidents Day 2025.

When is Presidents Day 2025?

President's Day is on Monday, Feb. 17.

What will be open on Presidents Day?

Presidents Day status as a federal holiday means some governmental entities and businesses will be closed in observance.

Some Federal workers are scheduled to have the day off. Banks are set to close along with the Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange and U.S. bond markets.

Retailers, grocery stores, and pharmacies may be closed or have modified hours for the holiday.

Protests against the actions of President Donald Trump organized by the 5051 Movement are scheduled to occur on the holiday.

Some stores may offer deals during the long weekend, which has become a part of the holiday itself.

Presidents Day: what businesses are open and closed on the holiday

Washington's birthday, or Presidents Day, is the third Monday of February, so here are what businesses are open and closed on the federal holiday?

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What does Presidents Day commemorate?

The holiday was originally intended to celebrate the birthday of the first President George Washington on Feb. 22, according to the Library of Congress. The holiday is still formally designated as Washington's Birthday by the Office of Personnel Management.

Washington's birthday was an informal holiday during the country's early existence and President Rutherford B. Hayes formalized the holiday in 1879, according to History.com.

The holiday's proximity to the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln on Feb. 12 caused the general public to link the two and later expand the celebration to all presidents.

The holiday is celebrated annually on the third Monday of February due to the Uniform Holiday Act. The act mandates that President's Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day occur on Mondays to avoid mid-week shutdowns. The bill was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 and took effect in 1971.

Part of the reason Johnson made the day a uniform holiday was so that Americans had a long weekend "to travel farther and see more of this beautiful land of ours," he wrote.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta