Monday, February 19, marks Presidents Day, a federal holiday to celebrate George Washington, America's first president. In observance of the holiday, many businesses and offices will be closed.
According to the National Archives, Presidents Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February each year to honor Washington "whose birthday is February 22."
"We also traditionally honor President Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12," the National Archives states on its website.
According to the National Archives, Presidents Day was the first federal holiday to celebrate a president's birthday, and in 1885 Congress designated "February 22 as a holiday for all federal workers."
"Nearly a century later, in 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Law changed the date to the third Monday in February. The position of the holiday between the birthdays of Washington and Abraham Lincoln gave rise to the popular name of Presidents Day," the National Archives states.
As a federal holiday, some may wonder if the United States Postal Service (USPS) and other delivery services will be open and operating.
"In observance of the Presidents Day holiday, Postal Service facilities will be closed for retail transactions on Monday, February 19, 2024. There will be no residential or business deliveries," a USPS spokesperson told Newsweek on Friday.
Meanwhile, the United Parcel Service (UPS) says on its website that some services may be altered due to Presidents Day, but others will be operating normally.
"UPS pickup and delivery services are available. Note: UPS SurePost and UPS Mail Innovations deliveries will require one additional business days' time in transit due to the Federal (USPS) holiday," UPS states on its website.
According to the UPS holiday calendar, UPS Domestic Ground, Air & International will be operating normally. UPS store locations will also be open on Presidents Day, the calendar shows.
FedEx is expected to have normal services on Presidents Day, but with some modifications.
"FedEx will also be operating normally on Presidents Day 2024 though there will be modified services on FedEx Ground shipments. Make sure you give yourself ample time to ensure your package is delivered by Monday, February 19, 2024," FedEx states on its website. "Depending on your package destination, you'll want to plan ahead to minimize the risk of late delivery."
In addition, many other businesses, government offices and public schools are also expected to be closed.
However, some retail stores such as Target, Walmart and Costco are expected to be open. It is also always best to check with local retail locations to make sure they will be operating on normal hours during Presidents Day.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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