Washington’s Birthday was first celebrated as a holiday in the District of Columbia in 1880. It was made a federal holiday in 1885. The holiday was originally held on the anniversary of George Washington’s birth, on February 22. In 1971, this holiday was moved to the third Monday in February. While this holiday is legally designated and referred to as “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government, the holiday has grown to become a celebration of not only the first U.S. president but all the U.S. presidents and the presidency itself as an institution. Based on material from timeanddate.com