Presidents Day: A Comprehensive Look at the Holiday and its Significance

Presidents Day might be a good time to shop and enjoy a day off if you have it, or it could just be another day at the office.

Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 19, is a federal holiday and offers those who work for the government a three-day weekend.

It also seems to be a good day for deals as appliance stores are promoting good sales on refrigerators and washers.

After Presidents Day, there are no upcoming three-day weekends, so you’ll have to wait a while for another break.

If you’re wondering more about what Presidents Day is about and who gets it off, we’ve got you. Here is more on the significance of the holiday and what you need to know.

Presidents Day is on Monday, Feb. 19 this year. Presidents Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February every year.

The date of Presidents Day changes every year because of the Uniform Holiday Bill signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Uniform Holiday Bill mandated that three holidays, including Presidents Day, occur on Mondays to prevent midweek shutdowns and add long weekends to the federal calendar.

The El Paso County offices will be closed for Presidents Day. Regular business hours will resume on Feb. 20.

El Paso County Commissioners Court will not have a meeting on Presidents Day.

The United States Postal Service will not operate on Presidents Day. UPS will still deliver packages.

Most Doña Ana County administrative offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 19. First responders in the field will not be affected. Regular business hours for county administrative offices will resume at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20.

El Paso city offices are open for Presidents Day. Ski Apache will remain open for Presidents Day. The ski resort is open Thursday through Sunday in February.

Sun Metro runs a regular schedule on Presidents Day. Socorro Independent School District is not off for Presidents Day.

Ysleta Independent School District is not off for Presidents Day. El Paso Independent School District is not off for Presidents Day.

Canutillo Independent School District is not off for Presidents Day. San Elizario Independent School District is not off for Presidents Day. Gadsden Independent School District is not off for Presidents Day. Unrelated, they have early release on Feb. 21.

The University of Texas at El Paso will not be off for Presidents Day. The El Paso Community College will not be off for Presidents Day.

Fabens Independent School District will be off for Presidents Day. Tornillo Independent School District will be off for Presidents Day.

Banks are not open on Presidents Day. In observance of Presidents Day, most City of Las Cruces offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 19. However, all emergency services, including police and fire, will operate as usual.

City offices and facilities closed, including:

Operating, or open, with hours, includes:

Michaels stores will have a 40% off on Spring Decor collections by Ashland. Best Buy is having a Presidents Day sale on appliances, small appliances, tablets and other items. Target, Sam’s Club, and Nike are among the stores advertising Presidents Day sales.

Presidents Day is also called “Washington’s Birthday” as a celebration of the nation’s first President. But George Washington‘s birthday is not on Feb. 19; it is Feb. 22. Or it might be Feb. 11.

Here’s where it gets interesting. George Washington was born on Feb. 11, 1731, at a time when Britain and its colonies used the Julian calendar, a product of the Roman Republic that went out of popular favor in 1582. The Brits still used it until 1752. The country celebrated Washington’s birthday as a sign of respect long before it became a federal holiday in 1879. After Johnson’s Uniform Holiday Bill, it was celebrated on the third Monday of February.

Around this time, the country also began using the holiday to honor not only Washington but Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12. Republican Rep. Robert McClory spearheaded the bill, which caused outrage from some who objected to changing the date we celebrate Washington’s birthday.

More: María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; [email protected], @EPTMaria on Twitter; eptmariacg on TikTok. USAToday contributed to this report.