What's Open, Closed In Barnstable On Presidents Day 2022

BARNSTABLE, MA — Post offices, banks, some businesses and other town services will be closed Monday for Presidents' Day, a holiday Congress created decades ago to celebrate George Washington’s birthday on the third Monday of February.

Although commonly celebrated with it as well, Presidents Day does not officially include Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12, which is only still celebrated by a handful of states.

The 16th U.S. president was born in 1809 in LaRue County, Kentucky, but ironically, his birth state isn't one of the five that still observe his birthday separately. Lincoln’s adopted state of Illinois plus California, Connecticut, Missouri and New York — that observe his birthday as a holiday.

In the public consciousness, though, Lincoln’s birthday is spun in with that of the first U.S. president, George Washington, and is observed on the third Monday in February. This year, that’s on Feb. 21. Technically, though, the holiday observed on the third Monday of February commemorates Washington’s birth on Feb. 22, 1732.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 doesn’t mention Lincoln’s birthday or even Presidents Day. Some lawmakers argued during debate that Washington’s birthday should be renamed Presidents Day to include Lincoln, but Congress rejected that.

Before the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971, Washington’s birthday was celebrated on the anniversary of his birth regardless of the day of the week.

Here's what will be open and closed in North Barnstable this year:

• Retail stores: Open.
• Liquor stores: Open.
• Supermarkets: Open.
• Convenience stores: Open.
• Restaurants, bars: Open.
• Banks: Closed.
• Stockmarket: Closed.
• Municipal, state, federal offices: Closed.
• Libraries: Closed.
• Schools: Closed. Winter recess through Feb. 25.
• Mail: U.S. Postal Service closed.
• MBTA: Commuter rail is on a weekend service schedule. The subway, bus and RIDE systems are on a Saturday schedule.
• Trash Collection: Delayed one day (Monday picked up on Tuesday, Tuesday picked up on Wednesday, Wednesday picked up on Thursday, Thursday picked up on Friday and Friday picked up on Saturday).