How Many Days Until Presidents' Day 2029?

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When is Presidents' Day 2029?

Presidents' Day 2029 falls on Monday, February 19, 2029.

About Presidents' Day

Presidents' Day is a US federal holiday observed on the third Monday of February each year. At the federal level its official name is Washington's Birthday, honouring George Washington, who was born on February 22, 1732. In everyday use the day has come to honour all US presidents, and Abraham Lincoln in particular, whose birthday on February 12 falls in the same period. The holiday was moved to a Monday in 1971 by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to give workers a long weekend. State practice varies. Some states officially call the day Washington's Birthday, others use Presidents' Day, and a few combine it with Lincoln's Birthday. The day is also widely used for retail sales, especially on cars, mattresses and appliances.

The federal holiday is officially Washington's Birthday, but at state level the picture is far more varied. Alabama and Arkansas combine the day with the birthdays of other presidents or historical figures. Massachusetts and New Mexico use names such as Presidents' Day or Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday. Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, which carries the carved faces of Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln, sees a noticeable rise in winter visitors around the holiday. Like Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Presidents' Day weekend is one of the busiest of the year for short domestic trips and ski-resort bookings, especially in the northeastern United States. Because the holiday always falls on the third Monday, it never lands on Washington's actual birthday of February 22, a quirk that has prompted recurring campaigns, so far unsuccessful, to restore the original date.

Frequently asked questions

Is it called Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday?

Both names are in use. At the federal level the holiday's official title is still Washington's Birthday, the name given when it was first recognised in 1879. "Presidents' Day" became common in the later 20th century, partly through retail advertising and partly because the third-Monday date sits between the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Many states adopted "Presidents' Day" or a combined name in their own laws. So the federal government says Washington's Birthday, while much of the public and many states say Presidents' Day.

When is Presidents' Day?

Presidents' Day falls on the third Monday of February each year, so the date moves between February 15 and February 21. It was placed on a Monday in 1971 under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which shifted several US holidays to Mondays to create reliable long weekends. The third Monday always falls before February 22, which is George Washington's actual birthday, so the holiday never lands on the date it was originally meant to mark.

Is Presidents' Day a federal holiday?

Yes. Presidents' Day, officially Washington's Birthday, is one of the eleven US federal holidays. Federal offices, courts and banks close, and there is no regular mail delivery. Because it is a federal holiday, the day off applies to federal workers and the federal government, while private employers decide for themselves whether to give staff the day. Schools and state offices follow state and local rules, so observance is not uniform across the country. The stock markets are also closed for the day.

What is the difference between Presidents' Day and Washington's Birthday?

They refer to the same holiday. Washington's Birthday is the legal federal name, set when Congress first made the day a holiday for federal workers in 1879 to honour George Washington. Presidents' Day is the informal name that spread later, reflecting a broader idea of honouring all presidents, or at least Washington and Lincoln together. There is no separate Presidents' Day in federal law. The variation in names mostly exists at state level, where different states have chosen different official titles for the same Monday.

Why isn't Presidents' Day on Washington's actual birthday?

George Washington was born on February 22, and the holiday honouring him was originally observed on that date. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which took effect in 1971, moved the holiday to the third Monday of February. The aim was to give workers dependable three-day weekends and reduce mid-week disruption. Because the third Monday can fall no later than February 21, the holiday can never land on February 22. Some people have campaigned to return the holiday to the fixed date, but those efforts have not succeeded.