Every February, families and schools ask two practical questions: When is Lincoln’s Birthday, and what actually closes? Just as important is the why—why generations continue to set aside time for a leader who steered the nation through civil war and put equality at the heart of America’s story. This guide brings clarity to the date, the holiday rules, and the best ways to make the day meaningful for your child and community.
What Is Lincoln’s Birthday?
Lincoln’s Birthday is the annual commemoration of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln is widely honored for leadership that preserved the Union, ended legal slavery, and reframed the country’s purpose around liberty and equality. These touchstones help families and educators center the day on values that still matter.
Is Lincoln’s Birthday a Holiday? What Actually Closes?
Lincoln’s Birthday is not a federal holiday. Federal offices and the U.S. Postal Service operate on normal schedules on February 12. Banks that follow the Federal Reserve holiday calendar are typically open.
Several states formally recognize Lincoln’s Birthday as a public holiday, often with state office closures and school schedule changes. Recognition and closures can vary by agency and year; always check local calendars.
Much of the confusion comes from February’s other holiday. The federal holiday on the third Monday in February is officially Washington’s Birthday, though many states and the public commonly call it Presidents’ Day and broaden the focus to honor multiple presidents—often including Lincoln. Some states keep a distinct Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12; others fold Lincoln into the third-Monday observance. The result: your school or state office may close on Lincoln’s Birthday, on the third Monday, on both, or on neither—depending on local policy.
Lincoln’s Birthday is always observed on February 12. If that date falls on a weekend, some states or districts may shift closures to the nearest weekday. Check your state, district, and employer calendars annually for details.
The earliest celebrations of Lincoln’s Birthday trace its origins back to either 1873 or 1874 in Buffalo, New York. This was as a result of Julius Francis’ life goal and determination to celebrate the assassinated president. He thus continuously petitioned the Congress to institute a statutory holiday on the date of Lincoln’s birthday.
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president and perhaps the greatest of all the United States presidents. He was born on February 12th, 1809 and was murdered on April 14th, 1865. President Lincoln is famous for leading the nation through the American Civil War, the most significant constitutional, moral, and political crisis. Additionally, he preserved unity, eradicated slavery, reinforced the federal government, and modernized the economy of the United States.
Upon his death, Julius E. Francis, a successful drug store owner, made it his life goal to preserve and promote the memory of Abraham Lincoln. Francis would collect Civil War and Lincoln memorabilia and was determined to ensure that a national holiday in celebration of Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th was established. He declared this pursuit “my wife and my life” and at his own expense organized the first seven annual celebrations in honour of Lincoln’s birthday until he passed away in 1881. However, despite his death before the establishment of the holiday, the Buffalo Lincoln’s Birthday Association continued petitioning the Congress to make this holiday a public holiday. However, unlike George Washington’s, Lincoln’s Birthday was never approved as a U.S. Federal Government holiday.
The origin of Black History Month dates back to the 19th century around the observance of Lincoln’s birthday within African-American societies in the U.S. In the early 20th century, African-American populations were observing Lincoln’s birthday together with that of Frederick Douglass, a former slave and abolitionist, annually on February 14th. The concept of Black History Month was established by Carter G. Woodson, an American author, historian and founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1926, when he proclaimed that the second week of February would be “Negro History Week” in honour of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In the 1970s, the holiday had evolved from the “Negro History Week” to “Black History Month”. As time progressed, Black History Month became a yearly observance not only in the U.S. but also in Canada, where it is still observed in February, and the UK where it is observed in October.
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving Day and marks the unofficial start of Christmas shopping. This term was coined during the late 19th century following President Lincoln’s declaration in 1863 of Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday which should be observed on the last Thursday in November. However, the date was later shifted, under Roosevelt’s administration, to the fourth Thursday of November. In the following years, people began feigning sickness to enjoy a four-day weekend and get a head-start on their holiday shopping. By 1966, the term Black Friday became famous in print.
As already mentioned above, Lincoln’s Birthday was never approved as a federal holiday, and according to federal law, the third Monday in February commemorates “Washington’s Birthday” and not Presidents’ Day. However, several state administrations officially refer to “Washington’s Birthday” as “President’s Day”, “Washington and Lincoln Day”, among other name variations to explicitly or implicitly honour Lincoln’s Birthday as well. Despite the official name and purpose, observations and celebrations held on or around the third Monday in February usually honour Lincoln as well. The third Monday of February is celebrated as an official state holiday as follows:
1. Presidents
2. Washington’s and Lincoln’s Day/ Birthday: Utah, Ohio, Colorado, Indiana, Montana, and Minnesota.
3. Unspecified - “The third Monday in February”: California.
Traditionally, this holiday is celebrated with organized wreath-placing rituals at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace National Historic Site at Hodgenville. During Lincoln’s 200th Birthday anniversary, the U.S. Mint issued four new commemorative cents with new designs on the back that illustrated the stages of his life with the standard portrait of his head at the front. These new coins went into circulation on September 12th, 2009. The designs showed a log cabin which represents his birthplace and Lincoln sitting on a log reading during his youth years.
In states such as Connecticut, Illinois, and Missouri, Washington’s Birthday is observed as a federal holiday while Lincoln’s Birthday is perceived as a state holiday on February 12th. In California, although Lincoln’s Birthday is still listed as a holiday, state employees have not been granted a paid holiday since 2009, and all state courts are closed. In New Jersey, the holiday was abolished on May 23, 2005, following the enactment of the Public Employee Pension and Benefits Reform Act of 2008. In other states, presidents are celebrated with other approved state holidays that do not fall on the third Monday of February. For instance, in New Mexico, Presidents’ Day is observed as a paid state-government holiday on the Friday after Thanksgiving. In Georgia, President’s Day is also a paid state-government holiday that is celebrated on the eve of Christmas.
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