Memorial Day in the United States honors the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who died while serving their country, in both war and peacetime.

Quick Scoop: What does Memorial Day celebrate?

  • It is a federal holiday dedicated to remembering and mourning U.S. military personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
  • It is observed on the last Monday in May and is often seen as the unofficial start of summer.
  • The day is meant to be solemn at its core, even though many people also enjoy barbecues, travel, and sales that weekend.

At its heart, Memorial Day is about sacrifice: pausing to recognize people who never made it home.

What people do on Memorial Day

Common ways people mark what Memorial Day celebrates include:

  1. Visiting cemeteries and war memorials to honor the fallen.
  2. Placing American flags or flowers on the graves of service members, especially in national cemeteries.
  3. Observing a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time to silently reflect on those who died.
  1. Holding or attending ceremonies where “Taps” is played and wreaths are laid, such as at Arlington National Cemetery.

A bit of background

  • Memorial Day grew out of traditions after the Civil War, when communities decorated soldiers’ graves; it was first widely known as “Decoration Day.”
  • Over time it expanded from honoring Civil War dead to honoring all U.S. service members who died in military service.
  • In 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance Act encouraged Americans to pause at 3 p.m. each Memorial Day to remember the fallen.

How it feels today (and what to say)

Many people still wonder how “celebratory” the day should be.

  • For Gold Star families, veterans, and friends of fallen service members, it can be a very emotional, reflective day.
  • Rather than saying “Happy Memorial Day,” it’s often considered more respectful to say something like “Have a meaningful Memorial Day” or “Thinking of those we’re remembering today.”

In short: Memorial Day doesn’t celebrate war itself; it commemorates the lives sacrificed in it, and asks the rest of us not to forget.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.