Presidents Day is widely known within the U.S. on the third Monday of February, a day put aside to commemorate the birthdays of each President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. 

Over time, the federal vacation has shifted right into a industrial occasion, with many retailers providing gross sales on Presidents Day to tempt customers to open their wallets after the Christmas holidays. 

That occurred after Presidents Day was shifted completely to the third Monday in February within the early Seventies, making a everlasting three-day weekend. Consequently, gross sales campaigns soared, historian C. L. Arbelbide wrote within the Nationwide Archives’ Prologue journal in 2004. 

“For advertisers, the Monday vacation change was the goose that laid the golden ‘promotional’ egg,” Arbelbide famous. “Utilizing Labor Day advertising and marketing as a information, three-day weekend gross sales had been expanded to incorporate the brand new Monday holidays.”

Here is what to learn about Presidents Day, which falls on February 19 this yr, together with what’s open and closed.

What’s Presidents Day?

The official identify of the Presidents Day vacation is Washington’s Birthday, created to mark George Washington’s Feb. 22, 1732 birthday. 

Over time, the vacation has come to be identified informally as Presidents Day. Arguments have been made to honor President Lincoln as nicely as a result of his birthdate falls close by, on February 12.

A small variety of states, together with Illinois, observe Lincoln’s birthday as a public vacation, in accordance with the Library of Congress. And a few commemorate each Lincoln and Washington on Presidents Day.

However on the federal stage, the day continues to be formally Washington’s Birthday.

Is Presidents Day a federal vacation?

Sure, Presidents Day is one among 12 federal holidays celebrated in the US.

Are shops open on Presidents Day?

Typically, sure. 

Retailers have remodeled the vacation right into a industrial bonanza, dangling gross sales to lure customers to their shops and web sites. Presidents Day is very identified for gross sales on mattresses, furnishings and different residence items, though retailers starting from Amazon to Nike are providing gross sales at present. 

To see among the finest gross sales discovered by CBS Necessities, click on right here.

Is Costco open on Presidents Day?

Costco shuts its doorways on seven main holidays, together with Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

However the warehouse retailer is open on Presidents Day, because the February 19 vacation is not one of many seven Costco observes. 

Does the U.S. Postal Service ship mail on Presidents Day?

As a result of Presidents Day is a federal vacation, the U.S. Postal Service is just not delivering mail on February 19, nor will its retail places be open for stamp purchases or different transactions.

Is the inventory market open on Presidents Day?

The U.S. inventory market is closed on Presidents Day, in accordance with the Securities Business and Monetary Markets Affiliation. 

Nonetheless, markets in different international locations are open at present, together with in Europe and China. 

Are banks open on Presidents Day?

February 19 can be a vacation for the federal banking system, in accordance with the Federal Reserve. Due to that, most main U.S. banks will shut their retail branches on Monday, though ATMs and on-line banking will likely be obtainable. 

— With reporting by the Related Press.