Find out when Memorial Day is in 2025, how the holiday began
With Mother's Day crossed off, the next holiday most people are looking forward to is Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer.
If you're already sorting out your holiday plans or brainstorming how to spend your three-day weekend, here's what you should know about Memorial Day's origin and meaning.
Memorial Day began under the name 'Decoration Day' in 1868 — three years after the Civil War ended — and was declared a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers and otherwise honor those who died while serving in the United States military, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
It is one of 11 permanent federal holidays observed in the U.S. The 10 other federal holidays observed annually are:
New Year's Day on January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday in January
Washington's Birthday, or Presidents Day, on the third Monday in February
Juneteenth on June 19
Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, on July 4
Labor Day on the first Monday in September
Indigenous Peoples Day, or Columbus Day, on the second Monday in October
Veterans Day on Nov. 11
Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November
Christmas on Dec. 25
Memorial Day is observed annually on the last Monday in May. This year, the holiday falls on May 26.
On May 5, 1868, Gen. John Logan officially ordered May 30 to be designated as a day of remembrance for those who died while serving in the Civil War. It is believed this date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. By 1890, all Northern states recognized the holiday, but Southern states chose to honor those who died in the Civil War on separate days.
This divide continued until the holiday changed after World War I to honor Americans who died fighting any war, not just the Civil War.
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day after Gov. Nelson Rockefeller made a similar declaration that same year.
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By the end of the century, Memorial Day ceremonies were held on May 30 throughout the country, the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observances at their facilities and state legislatures passed proclamations designating the day.
In 1972, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, and placed on the last Monday in May, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The act also established other federal holidays like Presidents Day and Columbus Day on Mondays.
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In 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance Act was signed into law by Congress and the president, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance.
Congress encourages all citizens to observe a minute of silence on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. local time.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: When is Memorial Day 2025? What to know about the holiday
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