Washington 's Birthday , also known as Presidents ' Day , is a United States Federal holiday to celebrate the birth of George Washington . Titled Washington 's Birthday , a federal holiday honoring George Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1880 for government offices in the District of Columbia and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices . As the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen , the holiday was celebrated on Washington 's actual birthday , February 22 .