Presidents’ Day in the U.S.: Origins, Traditions, and How It Works

For those moving to the United States, understanding the federal holiday calendar is an essential part of cultural adjustment. Presidents’ Day, celebrated every year on the third Monday of February, is one of the country’s most symbolic dates and a practical opportunity to observe how American society relates to its historical memory. Knowing the holiday helps with planning travel, shopping, banking, and visits to government offices.

In 2026, the holiday falls on February 16. The date is set by law as the third Monday of the month, enabling the traditional formation of long weekends that drive domestic tourism and retail activity across the country.

Origins of Presidents’ Day

The holiday began as an exclusive tribute to George Washington, the first President of the United States, born on February 22, 1732. It was recognized as a federal holiday in 1879, initially only in the District of Columbia, and extended nationwide in 1885 under the formal name Washington’s Birthday.

The decisive change came with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, passed in 1968 and in effect since 1971. The law moved the observance to the third Monday of February with a practical goal: to guarantee long weekends for workers and standardize federal holidays such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day.

Although the official federal name remains Washington’s Birthday, popular usage has cemented Presidents’ Day, reflecting a cultural reinterpretation that expanded the tribute to honor all presidents, with emphasis on Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday falls on February 12.

How the Holiday Is Celebrated

Unlike religious holidays or Memorial Day, Presidents’ Day combines civic elements with strong commercial appeal. The most common expressions include:

• Retail sales: appliance, automotive, furniture, and clothing chains offer aggressive discounts. It is one of the three biggest promotional weekends on the American calendar, alongside Memorial Day and Black Friday.
• Civic events: cities historically linked to presidents hold parades, public readings of Washington’s Farewell Address, and ceremonies at monuments.
• Visits to historic sites: locations such as Mount Vernon (Washington’s estate in Virginia), the Lincoln Memorial (in Washington, D.C.), and Springfield, Illinois (Lincoln’s city) see high visitor traffic.
• Food traditions: cherry pie evokes the popular legend of young Washington chopping down a cherry tree; colonial dishes and commemorative cakes appear in schools and themed restaurants.

What Closes and What Stays Open

As a federal holiday, Presidents’ Day results in the closure of a range of public services, with a direct impact on immigrants’ routines:

• USCIS offices do not provide services, and administrative deadlines may be adjusted.
• Federal courts and most state courts remain closed.
• The Postal Service (USPS) suspends deliveries, although UPS and FedEx continue operating with limited services.
• Banks and stock exchanges (NYSE, NASDAQ) are closed.
• Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspend services in most states.
• Public schools and state universities generally do not operate.

On the other hand, retail stores in general, supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, public transportation (with reduced hours in some cities), and most private services remain in operation.

Regional Variations

Although it is a federal holiday, each state has the autonomy to define how it names and observes the date. This fragmentation reveals deep aspects of American political culture:

• Virginia retains the name George Washington Day, in reference to the president born in the state.
• Illinois and New York recognize separate holidays for Lincoln and Washington, without merging the observances.
• Missouri honors three presidents: Washington, Lincoln, and Harry S. Truman, a native of the state.
• Kentucky groups Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Franklin D. Roosevelt under a single observance.
• Alabama and Mississippi blend tributes to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert E. Lee — a controversial choice that sparks annual debates.
• Georgia and Indiana shift Washington’s official birthday observance to a date near Christmas.
• New Mexico and Indiana celebrate Lincoln on the day after Thanksgiving.

For immigrants, these differences call for close attention to the calendar of both their state of residence and their state of employment, especially for cross-border teleworkers.

Practical Planning for Immigrants

The Presidents’ Day weekend tends to be a strategic moment for those who are establishing themselves in the country. Some practical recommendations:

• Planned purchases: the sales are real and significant, especially for home appliances to furnish a newly rented residence and for used vehicles.
• USCIS documentation: avoid relying on deadlines that fall exactly on the holiday Monday; USCIS operates under its own administrative timelines and counts may extend to the next business day.
• Domestic travel: airports and highways see heavy traffic; booking in advance reduces costs.
• Banks and remittances: schedule international transfers for the preceding Friday, as SWIFT and ACH systems may experience processing delays.

Cultural Significance

More than sales or a day off, Presidents’ Day functions as a gauge of the American public debate over who deserves to be remembered. Each state’s choices — including or excluding certain figures — reproduce historical political divides, from the legacy of the Civil War to the role of civil rights leaders. For the newly arrived immigrant, observing this date with attention is a legitimate way to understand the tensions and traditions of the society they have chosen to join.

Understanding Presidents’ Day is, therefore, part of a broader exercise: reading the United States through its institutional memories. The holiday offers, in just a few hours, a synthesis of the stories the country tells about itself — and of those it chooses to silence.

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

Leading journalism and editorial content at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps make immigration topics clear, trustworthy, and easy to understand. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.