What Presidents’ Day is

A US federal holiday on the third Monday in February. Its legal name remains Washingtonu2019s Birthday; the Monday date came from the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect in 1971.

Because the third Monday always falls between 15 and 21 February, the holiday can never land on Washingtonu2019s actual birthday, 22 February. States differ on the name and on whether Lincoln is included.

Why the date changes but the weekday does not

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date is set by a weekday rule rather than a fixed number, so it lands on a different date each year within a known window.

The date follows a published weekday rule, so it can be computed years ahead. Where a country sets the holiday in law, the official government calendar is the authority — and legislatures do occasionally move a public holiday for a one-off reason.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves on according to the recurrence rule described above. Calculated lunar dates remain estimates until the relevant calendar or local authority confirms them. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a duration of your own.