What’s Open, Closed On Presidents Day 2020 In Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Presidents Day will be Monday, and a variety of services will be closed in Fredericksburg and the surrounding counties on the day. In Virginia, the official state holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February is named George Washington Day or George Washington's Birthday.

The holiday, which was originally established in 1885 to honor President George Washington, will provide a much-appreciated three-day weekend for many. But it also means that services such as the U.S. Post Office, banks and public schools will not open on the day.

Here's a breakdown of how the holiday could affect your routine:

Fredericksburg Government Offices: Closed Feb. 17.

Spotsylvania County Government Offices: All county government offices and facilities are closed on Feb. 17, except the Livingston Convenience Center and Landfill, Visitor's Center and County Museum, which are open regular hours.

Stafford County Government Offices: Closed Feb. 17

State Courts: Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court are closed Feb. 17.

Fredericksburg Public Schools: Open Feb. 17.

Spotsylvania County Public Schools: Schools are closed for students on Feb. 17 but open for 12-month employees. Feb. 17 is a planning and development day for teachers.

Stafford County Public Schools: Closed Feb. 17.

Fredericksburg Trash & Recycling: Regular service.

Central Rappahannock Regional Library: All branches will be closed Feb. 17.

Post Offices: Closed Feb. 17.

FRED Transit: Open Feb. 17.

VRE: Closed Feb. 17.

The transition in the holiday's name from Washington's Birthday to Presidents Day began in the late 1960s as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The bill proposed that the country celebrate holidays on Monday rather than when birthdays fell on the calendar so workers could have a three-day weekend.

During the debate of that bill, it was proposed that Washington's Birthday be renamed Presidents Day to celebrate the birthdays of both Washington on Feb. 22 and President Abraham Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12.

Congress actually rejected the name change in the 1968 version of the bill. However, after the bill went into effect in 1971, Presidents Day became the commonly accepted name.

According to the operators of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Fairfax County, the U.S. government never officially changed the name. In the 1980s, owing to advertising campaigns for holiday sales, the term became popularized and largely accepted.

"This joint recognition would also celebrate President Lincoln's February 12 birthday within the same period," the Mount Vernon website says, "but arguably, George Washington (the Father of our country) deserves his own day."