There are several celebrations and commemorations in the United States that are dedicated to the military. Indeed, the Memorial Day is one of them.
Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May to remember the men and women who gave their lives for their country. The holiday’s original name, “Decoration Day,” reflects the holiday’s focus on adornment.
Learn more about Memorial Day, including when it is celebrated in 2024 and why we do it, right here.
When is Memorial Day 2024
Memorial Day is Monday, May 27, 2024. The holiday always falls on the last Monday of May.
Is Memorial Day a federal holiday?
Yes, Memorial Day is a federal holiday. It is one of 11 permanent federal holidays in the U.S.
Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?
Decoration Day, also known as Memorial Day, is a federal holiday honouring U.S. military personnel who have died while on active duty. While its precise beginnings are murky, the holiday probably emerged sometime after the Civil War.
In 1868, General John Logan issued an order declaring May 30 a day of memorial for Union and Confederate soldiers who had lost their lives in battle. The inaugural Decoration Day saw the adornment of twenty thousand graves at Arlington Cemetery, and included a speech by future president James Garfield.
All northern states had made Decoration Day a legal holiday by 1890. Yet Southern states decided to remember Civil War casualties on other days. It wasn’t until after World War I that the holiday was standardised to memorialise all American service members killed in action, not simply those in the Civil War.
Due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Memorial Day is now observed on the final Monday of May instead of May 30. Both President’s Day (formerly observed on February 22) and Columbus Day (previously observed on the second Monday in October) were moved to their current dates by this legislation (formerly celebrated on Oct. 12).
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