Is Publix open on Presidents Day and does Washington really have 2 birthdays?

Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

February 7, 2024 at 9:30 AM·6 min read

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A three-day weekend is coming up fast for many students and employees across Florida, but not everyone gets the day off.

For those who do, enjoy Presidents Day 2024 when it arrives Feb. 19. It'll be the last federal holiday until May.

Here are some facts and a little history trivia about the holiday and why we celebrate it, along with what is open and closed, and some Presidents Day deals.

Who was the youngest president? Here's what to know about the man on Mount Rushmore.

When is Presidents Day 2024?

Presidents Day will be Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. The holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of February every year.

Who gets the day off for Presidents Day?

Since Presidents Day is a federal holiday — although it's called Washington's Birthday on federal calendars — anyone who works for the federal government or District of Columbia has the day off.

Is Presidents Day a holiday in Florida?

No. There are nine paid holidays in Florida.

What are the paid holidays in Florida?

In 2024, the nine paid holidays in Florida are New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

However, legal holidays in Florida, when state offices may be closed, include Lincoln's Birthday on Feb. 12 and Washington's Birthday on Feb. 19.

Presidents Day: The post office is closed but is Publix open? Here's what is open, closed on Presidents Day

Are Florida schools closed on Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 19, 2024?

Across Florida, every school district is closed for Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 19. Check your school calendar below.

Is Publix open on Presidents Day 2024? What about other stores?

Of all the holidays throughout the year, Publix stores are only closed three days a year: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

Publix locations in Florida are open on federal holidays, although some locations may close early so call if you're planning a late-night shopping trip.

Most restaurants and retail stores will be open Feb. 19, and several celebrate the holiday with special sales (scroll to the bottom for a list of sales).

Here's what is closed on Presidents Day 2024:

The post office is closed, and there will be no mail delivery
Most banks are closed, but check with your local bank.
New York Stock Exchange markets, Nasdaq and other markets observe Presidents Day as a holiday.
Government offices and services are closed.

When was Presidents Day first observed?

Following the death of George Washington in 1799, his Feb. 22 birthday became a day of remembrance.

Washington's Birthday became a legal holiday Jan. 31, 1879, when Congress added Feb. 22 to the list of holidays to be observed by federal employees in the District of Columbia.

The date changed to the third Monday in February with the passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and officially took effect in 1971.

Does George Washington have two birthdays?

Does George Washington have two birthdays, Feb. 11 and Feb. 22? Not really, but sort of.

Washington was born in Virginia on Feb. 11, 1731, but that date was based on the Julian calendar.

In 1752, Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, which moved his birth date to Feb. 22, 1732.

US skipped 11 days. Why did we switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar?

Since it was introduced in 45 BC, the Julian calendar had slowly drifted away from the vernal equinox and winter solstice since it didn't reflect the actual time it takes the earth to circle once around the sun, according to Time and Date.

In the Julian calendar, a leap day was added every four years, which was too often.

To make up for the error and get the calendar back in sync with astronomical seasons, several days had to be dropped when the Gregorian calendar was adopted.

So in September 1752, the U.S. skipped 11 days. September had only 19 days, jumping from Sept. 2 to Sept. 14.

Feb. 30? Think Feb. 29, leap year and leap day are rare? Feb. 30 was a real date in history. Twice

Is it Presidents Day or Washington's Birthday?

Neither Congress nor the president have ever stipulated that the name of the holiday observed as Washington's Birthday be changed to Presidents Day.

So on the federal calendar, it's Washington's Birthday.

Why is it called Presidents Day? What about Abraham Lincoln?

The shift from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents Day began in the late 1960s, when Congress proposed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act included a provision to combine the celebration of Washington’s birthday with that of Abraham Lincoln, which was Feb. 12.

Retailers and advertisers celebrate the three-day weekend with sales promotions. It wasn't long before many Americans were thinking of Washington's Birthday as Presidents Day. In the early 2000s, almost half of the states across America had changed the holiday’s name to Presidents Day.

Is it Presidents Day, President's Day or Presidents' Day?

AP Stylebook prefers Presidents Day, but Chicago Style uses Presidents' Day.

Based on Google, folks are searching for it both ways. On the federal calendar, it's listed as Washington's Birthday.

Is the holiday always on a Monday?

Washington's Birthday was celebrated on Feb. 22 until 1968. That's when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to "provide uniform annual observances of certain legal public holidays on Mondays."

By creating more three-day weekends, Congress hoped to "bring substantial benefits to both the spiritual and economic life of the Nation."

What is the Uniform Monday Holiday Act?

Signed by President Johnson, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act provides that three national holidays will be celebrated on a Monday:

Washington's Birthday on the third Monday in February.
Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.
Veterans Day on the fourth Monday in October.

"It will enable families who live some distance apart to spend more time together," Johnson said at the time. "Americans will be able to travel farther and see more of this beautiful land of ours. They will be able to participate in a wider range of recreational and cultural activities."