Presidents’ Day similarly to Veteran’s Day started as a different holiday and morphed into the holiday we now celebrate annually in February. However, unlike Veteran’s Day, Presidents’ Day is not the name of the official national holiday, it is Washington’s Birthday. That is why you may see two methods to spell Presidents’ Day. It can be either, Presidents Day, or Presidents’ Day.
So why is there all the confusion on the name of the holiday? Since states are not required to adopt federal holidays. Some States have named it Presidents’ Day, others Washington and Lincoln’s Birthday, some have kept the name Washington’s Birthday. While federal agencies will officially celebrate Washington’s Birthday. State agencies may still be operational. Additionally, some states may celebrate Washington’s Birthday on his actual birthday, which is February 22nd. President Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th.
If Washington’s Birthday is February 22nd, why is the holiday always on a Monday? The holiday was changed to be celebrated on the third Monday of February in 1971 under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.