Presidents Day celebrates George Washington’s birthday and, more broadly today, the service and legacy of all U.S. presidents.

What Presidents Day celebrates

  • It was originally created as a federal holiday in 1879 to honor George Washington, the first U.S. president, whose birthday is February 22.
  • Over time, the meaning expanded so many people now use it to honor all U.S. presidents and the institution of the presidency itself.
  • In popular use, it often also highlights Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12, especially in states that once had a separate Lincoln’s Birthday holiday.

In short, when people ask “what does Presidents Day celebrate,” the answer today is: Washington’s birthday at the federal level, and more generally the contributions of all presidents to U.S. history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.