After almost three months without a federal holiday in the United States, are you ready for the return of the three-day weekend?
Thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which moved several federal holidays to Monday dates to create such weekends for federal employees, Memorial Day always falls on the final Monday of May, which this year is Monday, May 29.
Giving armed forces special recognition and honoring the dead are both universal customs that have been observed for millennia. However, the first official observance of Memorial Day in the United States was May 30, 1868, to honor the roughly 620,000 soldiers who died in the American Civil War. Memorial Day is specifically a day to acknowledge service members who died in battle or veterans who have since passed away.
Red, white, and blue decorations and clothes are customary for Memorial Day celebrations. Because the holiday also informally heralds the coming of summer, outdoor parties, beach trips, and barbecues are very common. Many military cemeteries also hold memorial events widely attended by the friends and loved ones of the deceased veterans interred there, whose graves receive fresh flowers and decorations.
Since it is a federal holiday, you can expect some businesses to have shorter hours or to be closed for the day. Despite the commercial aspect of the holiday, it can be considered impolite to wish people “Happy Memorial Day” since its main purpose is to honor the dead. You may see people wearing poppy flowers or the American flag flying at half-mast as a sign of respect.
If you’re looking for the parades, parties, and other festivities held in New York City, check out these events.
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