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    With February here, it means celebrating the day of love, otherwise known as Valentine's Day. 

    In addition to the chocolate-filled holiday, February also means Americans get to celebrate the third federal holiday of the year - President's Day.

    On February 17, Americans will remember George Washington's birthday with the celebration of President's Day, a holiday often marked by sales.

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    Federal holidays, often observed with paid time off from work, were created by Congress in 1885 when it was decided that federal employees should have certain days off from work.

    As time went by, Congress added historical days of significance to the list of federal holidays, bringing the total number to 10.

    To ensure that government employees were able to celebrate these days, the government enacted certain guidelines for observing federal holidays. 

    Federal holidays that fall on a Saturday are observed by federal employees on the previous Friday, whereas holidays that fall on Sunday are observed the following Monday.

    On these days, non-essential federal government offices are closed and banks, post offices and schools may also be closed.

    For employees in the private sector, federal holidays may or may not mean a day off – as businesses cannot legally be required to observe the holiday. Fortunately, most employers will give employees the day off for certain federal holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas – or pay employees extra for working on the day.

    Whether you plan to book a vacation during a long weekend or are simply looking forward to the next day off from work, these are the dates of federal holidays in 2020.  

    2020 federal holidays: 

    New Year’s Day: Wednesday, January 1

    Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr: Monday, January 20

    President’s Day: Monday, February 17

    Memorial Day: Monday, May 25

    Independence Day: Saturday, July 4

    Labor Day: Monday, September 7

    Columbus Day: Monday, October 12

    Veterans' Day: Wednesday, November 11

    Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 26

    Christmas: Friday, December 25

    Other important days to note: 

    Valentine’s Day: Friday, February 14

    St Patrick’s Day: Tuesday, March 17

    Good Friday: Friday, April 10

    Easter: Sunday, April 12

    Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 10

    Father’s Day: Sunday, June 21

    Halloween: Saturday, October 31

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