For many, particularly federal workers, today means a day off because it’s Presidents’ Day. Plans are in place for a long weekend of travel, binge-watching TV, maybe sleeping in today, and for those in New Orleans, sleeping off the fun from the first weekend of Carnival parades. But what exactly is Presidents’ Day? Glad you asked. 1. He Never Told a Lie (Supposedly) The inspiration for this day off is America’s first president, George Washington. When Washington passed away in 1799, he was considered such an important figure in U.S. history that his birthday—Washington was born Feb. 22, 1732—became a perennial day of remembrance, starting in 1800. The holiday was called Washington’s Birthday. 2. When Did Presidents’ Day Become Official? Washington’s Birthday wasn’t truly an official holiday until Jan. 31, 1879, when President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law, though it only applied to federal employees in the District of …