Every third Monday in February, the US observes a federal holiday officially called Washington's Birthday — though most people know it as Presidents' Day. It's a name mix-up that's lasted over 50 years, and one this reminder makes sure you never get caught out by. Click the green Configure button and set how far in advance you want to be alerted.
Why use a reminder for this one?
- It's not where you'd expect: Since the holiday moved off George Washington's actual birthday (February 22) back in 1971, the date shifts every year — a reminder means you don't have to recalculate it yourself.
- Banks and federal offices close: If you're expecting mail, a government appointment, or a bank transfer, knowing the date ahead of time saves you a wasted trip.
- Three-day weekend, if you plan for it: Since it always lands on a Monday, a reminder a week or two out gives you time to actually plan something with the long weekend instead of realizing too late.
- Retail sales pile up around it: Presidents' Day has become one of the biggest sale weekends of the year for furniture, mattresses, and appliances — worth knowing about if you're shopping for any of those.
So is it Washington's Birthday or Presidents' Day?
Officially, it's still Washington's Birthday — that's the legal name under federal law, and it has been since Congress first made it a holiday in 1879. The holiday only honored federal workers in Washington, D.C. at first; it was extended to all federal employees in 1885, making it the first federal holiday to single out an individual's birthday.
In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved the date from the fixed February 22 to the third Monday in February, so it would always create a three-day weekend. During that same debate, lawmakers actually proposed renaming the holiday "Presidents' Day" to also honor Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday falls on February 12 and sits close to the new date. Congress rejected the name change — but it stuck anyway, largely thanks to retailers who liked the broader appeal for advertising sales. So today, most people call it Presidents' Day, even though the federal government never actually agreed to that name.
A few things you might not know
George Washington himself wasn't especially interested in his own birthday — historical records from Mount Vernon show no evidence of big personal celebrations during his lifetime. And because of a calendar switch from Julian to Gregorian in 1752, Washington's birth date itself shifted by 11 days, from February 11, 1731 to February 22, 1732, on paper. Some states still officially call the day "Washington's Birthday" rather than Presidents' Day, including Virginia, Illinois, Florida, and New York.
So whether you think of it as Washington's holiday, a celebration of every president, or just a welcome long weekend in February, click that green Configure button and let the reminder do the remembering for you.