Federal employees get a long Valentine's holiday weekend. What to know
February 2025 is just a few days away, which means Valentine's Day is right around the corner. And so is Presidents Day, which is a day off of work for most federal employees.
Presidents Day is not always on the same date, but it always falls on a Monday. This year, Valentine's Day falls on a Friday and Presidents Day falls on the Monday after that, giving most federal employees a three-day Valentine's Day weekend.
Here's when Presidents and Valentine's Day weekend is and a list of holidays that federal employees don't have to work during.
Unlike Presidents Day, Valentine's Day always falls on the same date. And this year, Valentine's Day festivities will likely be spread out across three days for many who celebrate, since the holiday falls on a Friday.
Valentine's Day 2025 will fall on Friday, Feb. 14.
Valentine's Day history: From pagan origins to endless promotions, with a little love
Presidents Day always falls on the third Monday in February. This year, Presidents Day will fall on the Monday after Valentine's Day, Monday, Feb. 16, 2025.
Presidents Day is one of the eleven federal holidays in which most federal employees across the U.S. 'are entitled to paid holiday time off when excused from duty,' according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Presidents Day and George Washington's birthday don't always fall on the same day, but they are always celebrated together.
'Presidents' Day' is actually a nickname and what most people know the holiday as. The federally-observed holiday was originally held to honor the first U.S. president's birthday and is technically called 'Washington's Birthday.'
Since George Washington, who was born on Feb. 22, shared a birth month with Abraham Lincoln, who was born on Feb. 12, the holiday informally became a more general celebration of the country's founding fathers.
Presidents' Day became a federal holiday under President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1879 and was originally observed on Washington's actual birthday each year.
In 1968, Congress passed a law that ensured Presidents' Day and other legal public holidays always fall on a Monday.
Presidents' Day is one of eleven permanent federal holidays created by Congress. But each state has the freedom to choose which holidays it legally observes, so not everyone in the U.S. will get a three-day weekend.
Florida hasn't added Presidents day to the list of the state's legal holidays. But since it's a federal holiday, mail delivery, post offices and other government services won't be open for business.
Here's the list of the 11 federal holidays, from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management:
New Year's Day (Jan. 1)
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January)
Washington's Birthday (Third Monday in February)
Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19)
Independence Day (July 4)
Labor Day (First Monday in September)
Columbus Day (Second Monday in October)
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
Christmas Day (Dec. 25)
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Presidents Day makes Valentine's weekend 3 days for these workers
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