Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, 1796 (
more)
Washington's Birthday is the official name (in accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 6103 - Holidays) for the United States federal holiday whose popular and commonly used name is
Presidents' Day. It is celebrated annually on the
third Monday of February.
Washington's Birthday honors and celebrates the life and achievements of George Washington, the first President of the United States (1789-1797) and 'The Father of his Country'. It was the first federal holiday to be created in honor of an American citizen. The day is, in practice, often used to honor and remember all past US presidents, and in particular Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.
The holiday was created in 1879, first celebrated the following year. It was originally held on Washington's actual birthday (February 22). In 1971 this was changed to the third Monday of February, placing it between February 15 and 21 - which makes "Washington's Birthday" something of a misnomer, since it can never occur on Washington's actual birthday anymore.
Washington's Birthday is an occasion for community celebrations and parades. Many stores and businesses hold special sales. The
Purple Heart military badge (which carries an image of Washington) for soldiers injured in the course of duty is awarded on Washington's Birthday.
Further reading:
2022 calendar as templates for
Word, Excel and PDF
A selection of calendar templates for 2022 in landscape and portrait orientation and with US federal holidays, suitable for a variety of applications.