Presidents Day 2023: What’s open, what's closed and where to find deals

How Presidents Day became a federal holiday

It's Presidents Day weekend! But do you know how this federal holiday came about?

Presidents Day is fast-approaching.

A day to honor U.S. presidents past and present, Presidents Day is the last federal holiday (and for many, the last three-day weekend) until May.

Although most government offices and banks are closed, Presidents Day, like a lot of three-day weekends, is a good time for shoppers to find deals on clothes, appliances, electronics and more.

The history of Presidents Day

Presidents Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February. In 2023, Presidents Day falls on Feb. 20.

This June 1995 photo shows Mt. Rushmore, in Keystone, South Dakota. (Photo credit KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)

The holiday was initially established in 1879 to honor George Washington, the nation’s first president. It was celebrated on Feb. 22, his birthday.

In 1971, the holiday moved to the third Monday in February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, a measure that created more three-day weekends for American workers.

Today, Presidents Day is an occasion to recognize all U.S. presidents, past and present, though some people still call it Washington’s Birthday.

What’s closed on Presidents Day 2023?

Here’s what’s closed on Presidents Day:

The New York Stock Exchange will be closed on Presidents Day (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Banks
Federal government offices
Post offices
U.S. District courts
Most state and local courts
Most state and local government offices
The stock market

Where to find Presidents Day sales in 2023

The vast majority of retail stores, restaurants and other businesses remain open on Presidents Day.

Many retailers even offer sales to mark the occasion. Here are 10 deals you can take advantage of for the holiday. Most of the sales are live now:

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Bed, Bath and Beyond: Up to 50% off a variety of items, including storage, bedding, vacuums, kitchen gear and more.
Best Buy: The electronics giant is having a Presidents Day sale on appliances. You can save hundreds of dollars on items like refrigerators, washers, dryers and dishwashers.
Dell: Save hundreds of dollars on monitors, laptops and more.
HP: Online, you can find HP laptops, monitors, printers and more up to 70% off for Presidents Day.
J. Crew: 40% off your purchases in store and online.
Mattress Firm: The mattress store’s Prezzzident’s Day sale is offering up to 60% off of mattresses.
Overstock: The online retailer’s Presidents Day sale offers 70% off thousands of items and free shipping for everything.
Rugs.com: Up to 80% off select items, plus free shipping and returns.
Serta: Save up to $1,000 on select mattresses for Presidents Day.
Wayfair: The online furniture store is having a Presidents Day clearance sale with up to 70% off of rugs, mattresses, wall art and much more.