When are Presidents Day 2025 and why are we celebrating the federal holiday?

On By Littum

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While the Rochester Area school districts will not be in session later this month, a three-day holiday saint overlaps with the annual February break for many in the region.

Presidents Day is a federal holiday celebrated every year in mid -February to honor past US presidents. Locally, it is part of the next big break week – known as Presidents Day Break Week in some districts, mid -winter era in others or just as a February break week among most students and teachers.

Here’s when we celebrate presidents day, and why:

When are presidents day?

This year the presidents fall on Monday, February 17th.

The federal holiday is observed every year on the third Monday in February.

When is February Pause in Rochester NEW?

For most districts in the Rochester -Region runs February breaks from Monday, February 17 to Friday 21 February.

When they include the surrounding weekends, students and staff will have a nine-day recess from Saturday 15 February to Sunday 23 February.

What are presidents day?

Officially known as Washington’s birthday, the first federal holiday of the year was originally intended to honor the country’s first president, George Washington.

Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1731, according to the then used Julian calendar. In 1752, however, the UK and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, which moved his birthday one year and 11 days to February 22, 1732.

Eventually, the holiday included honoring President Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12th.

The position of the holiday between birthdays in Washington and Lincoln gave rise to the popular name of the presidents’ day, according to National Archives.

In 1885, Congress on February 22 appointed holiday for all federal workers. Almost a century later, in 1971, the uniform Monday Holiday Act changed the date of the third Monday in February, according to the National Archives.

The uniform holiday bill required that three holidays, including presidents day, occur on Mondays to prevent the shutdown of the midweek and add long weekends to the federal calendar.

Why are we celebrating presidents day?

The country celebrated the basic father’s birthday long before Congress declared that day a federal holiday, which was the country’s first federal holiday to honor a person’s date of birth, according to National Archives.

Around the Centennial of Washington’s birthday, Congress created a joint committee to oversee festivities to honor the former president.

On February 22, 1832, the Committee recommended Congress exposed to respect for Washington’s memory and in memory of his birth.

Created by a memorial from the mayor and other citizens of Philadelphia, the House and Senate reminded the 130th anniversary of Washington’s birth by reading his farewell address aloud, according to the National Archives. Eventually, this event became a tradition in the Senate that is still observed today.

Washington’s birthday was not a legal holiday until January 31, 1879, when Congress added February 22 to the List of Holidays to be observed by Federal Employees in the District of Columbia. This was not a paid holiday for all federal employees until 1885.

What is open/closed on the presidency day?

The US postal service, banks, the stock market and most schools will be closed on the presidents. Most retailer and grocery stores remain open.

Who is out of presidents’ day?

Federal holidays are those who are observed by the federal government so that anyone who works for the federal government Generally has the day off. Federal holidays can also be observed Monday or Friday if they fall for a weekend.

Other 2025 federal holidays

  • New Year’s Day (January 1)
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day/Initial Day (January 20)
  • Presidents Day (17 February)
  • Memorial Day (26 May)
  • JUNETEENTH (June 19)
  • Independence Day (July 4)
  • Labor Day (1. September)
  • Columbus Day (13 October)
  • Veterans Day (November 11)
  • Thanksgiving Day (November 27)
  • Christmas Day (25 December)