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Fast Company
26-05-2025
- General
- Fast Company
What's open and closed on Memorial Day 2025? Stocks, banks, Walmart, groceries, post office, more
The temperatures are heating up and school's almost out for the summer. Before we fully dive into the warmer months and vacations, we get a mini-break in the form of Memorial Day weekend—a preview of coming attractions—but it requires some planning ahead because today (Monday May 26, 2025) is a federal holiday. Let's take a look at a brief history of the day and what business and services will be closed to observe it. A brief history of Memorial Day Memorial Day has its roots in the aftermath of the Civil War. On May 30, 1868, John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared the first national observance of Declaration Day, Memorial Day's predecessor, on which flowers were placed on Union soldiers' graves. Even before this declaration, there were many similar Confederate customs. Many cities on both sides claim to be the originators of the holiday. As more battles were fought, the holiday evolved beyond a single conflict to honor and mourn all service members who lost their lives in the line of battle. It became an official federal holiday in 1971 after a 1968 law, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, was enacted by Congress. This moved the holiday from May 30 to the last Monday in May, giving many traditional American workers a three-day weekend. Memorial Day vs. Veterans Day Many mix up or confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The former celebrates service members who have died in the line of battle. The latter takes place in November and celebrates all American veterans. Are banks open on Memorial Day? No. Major money transactions that require going inside a bank are going to have to wait as these institutions are closed on federal holidays. Are ATMs open on Memorial Day? Yes. Luckily, for simpler deposits and withdrawals, automated teller machines located outside of the branch are available. Is the post office open on Memorial Day? No. You won't be able to run into a post office on Memorial Day as the United States Postal Service (USPS) is not open for business. Buy stamps and send big packages ahead of time. Is mail delivered on Memorial Day? No. Bills and postcards will be delayed a day, as postal mail is not delivered on Memorial Day. Are FedEx and UPS operating on Memorial Day? According to the 2025 FedEx holiday schedule, only FedEx Custom Critical services will be available. FedEx Office will have a modified schedule while FedEx, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Logistics are closed. According to the 2025 UPS holiday schedule, only UPS Express Critical services are available. Limited UPS store locations will be open. UPS Forwarding, UPS Domestic Ground, Air, and International are all closed for the holiday. Is the stock market open on Memorial Day? No. You will have to buy and sell another day. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq exchange are closed. Are schools open on Memorial Day? No. Students and teachers typically get the day off for Memorial Day. That being said, it is a good practice to double check your own school's calendar to verify this. Are restaurants open on Memorial Day? Yes. Most restaurants are open and hoping to take advantage of the three-day weekend revenue. This includes fast food chains such as McDonald's and sit-down chains such as Applebee's. For smaller mom-and-pop-type places, it's best to double check that they didn't take the day off. Are pharmacies open on Memorial Day? Typically, yes. Most Walgreens and CVS locations will be open, but they may have modified hours. Be sure to check your local location ahead of time, especially if you need your medication in a pinch. Moreover, independent pharmacies may be closed. Are stores and groceries open on Memorial Day? For the most part, yes. Big-box retailers like Walmart and Target are open on Memorial Day, according to a roundup from USA Today. If you need a last-minute bottle of ketchup or mustard for your hamburgers and hot dogs, you are covered. Trader Joe's, Kroger, and many more have your back. The majority of large supermarket chains will be open for all your family barbecue needs.
Fast Company
26-05-2025
- General
- Fast Company
What's open and closed on Memorial Day 2025? Stock markets, banks, stores, pharmacies, more
The temperatures are heating up and school's almost out for the summer. Before we fully dive into the warmer months and vacations, we get a mini-break in the form of Memorial Day weekend—a preview of coming attractions—but it requires some planning ahead because today (Monday May 26, 2025) is a federal holiday. Let's take a look at a brief history of the day and what business and services will be closed to observe it. A brief history of Memorial Day Memorial Day has its roots in the aftermath of the Civil War. On May 30, 1868, John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared the first national observance of Declaration Day, Memorial Day's predecessor, on which flowers were placed on Union soldiers' graves. Even before this declaration, there were many similar Confederate customs. Many cities on both sides claim to be the originators of the holiday. As more battles were fought, the holiday evolved beyond a single conflict to honor and mourn all service members who lost their lives in the line of battle. It became an official federal holiday in 1971 after a 1968 law, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, was enacted by Congress. This moved the holiday from May 30 to the last Monday in May, giving many traditional American workers a three-day weekend. Memorial Day vs. Veterans Day Many mix up or confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The former celebrates service members who have died in the line of battle. The latter takes place in November and celebrates all American veterans. Are banks open on Memorial Day? No. Major money transactions that require going inside a bank are going to have to wait as these institutions are closed on federal holidays. Are ATMs open on Memorial Day? Yes. Luckily, for simpler deposits and withdrawals, automated teller machines located outside of the branch are available. Is the post office open on Memorial Day? No. You won't be able to run into a post office on Memorial Day as the United States Postal Service (USPS) is not open for business. Buy stamps and send big packages ahead of time. Is mail delivered on Memorial Day? No. Bills and postcards will be delayed a day, as postal mail is not delivered on Memorial Day. Are FedEx and UPS operating on Memorial Day? According to the 2025 FedEx holiday schedule, only FedEx Custom Critical services will be available. FedEx Office will have a modified schedule while FedEx, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Logistics are closed. According to the 2025 UPS holiday schedule, only UPS Express Critical services are available. Limited UPS store locations will be open. UPS Forwarding, UPS Domestic Ground, Air, and International are all closed for the holiday. Is the stock market open on Memorial Day? No. You will have to buy and sell another day. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq exchange are closed. Are schools open on Memorial Day? No. Students and teachers typically get the day off for Memorial Day. That being said, it is a good practice to double check your own school's calendar to verify this. Are restaurants open on Memorial Day? Yes. Most restaurants are open and hoping to take advantage of the three-day weekend revenue. This includes fast food chains such as McDonald's and sit-down chains such as Applebee's. For smaller mom-and-pop-type places, it's best to double check that they didn't take the day off. Are pharmacies open on Memorial Day? Typically, yes. Most Walgreens and CVS locations will be open, but they may have modified hours. Be sure to check your local location ahead of time, especially if you need your medication in a pinch. Moreover, independent pharmacies may be closed. Are stores and groceries open on Memorial Day? For the most part, yes. Big-box retailers like Walmart and Target are open on Memorial Day, according to a roundup from USA Today. If you need a last-minute bottle of ketchup or mustard for your hamburgers and hot dogs, you are covered. Trader Joe's, Kroger, and many more have your back. The majority of large supermarket chains will be open for all your family barbecue needs.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Memorial Day 2025: Holiday more than barbecues, it remembers US military members killed
Memorial Day 2025 is almost here. The holiday is considered the unofficial start to summer — a long weekend with pleasant weather in the Ohio forecast, a time for barbecues, graduation parties and picnics. The holiday, however, is one of the most solemn that the United States observes. It honors those who gave their lives in service to this country. Here's when we celebrate Memorial Day 2025, plus more on the holiday's origins. Memorial Day travel outlook, best times to travel in Ohio This year, Memorial Day will be marked on May 26. Until 1971, Memorial Day was always marked on May 30. That year, Congress established Memorial Day as a federal holiday on the last Monday in May. Memorial Day is a federal holiday mourning the loss of military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, according to History. A federal holiday since 1971, Memorial Day's history stretches back to the Civil War when it was known as Decoration Day. May 30 was designated 'for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.' Memorial Day got its start three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, when the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared it should be May 30, when it was thought that flowers would be in bloom all over the country. Even though numerous communities had been independently celebrating Memorial Day for years, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo first celebrated the holiday on May 5, 1866. While it may be an instinct to wish someone a happy Memorial Day, there's a debate about whether that's appropriate on a somber holiday, according to Newsweek. Since the word has a joyous connotation, some think "Happy Memorial Day" is an inappropriate sentiment. For those who have lost a loved one, it can come across as insensitive and may indicate to some that the holiday has lost its meaning. Thanking a veteran for their service is more appropriate for Veterans Day, the holiday in November to honor veterans for their service to the United States. "I hope you're having a meaningful day" might be one of the better things to say to a veteran, writes NPR. Memorial Day parades, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans' organizations, are among the traditions cities across the United States observe for the day. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Also, some areas mark the holiday with fireworks displays. Many also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some wear a red poppy to remember those fallen in war — a tradition that began with a World War I poem. As the unofficial start of summer, many people have barbecues or get away for the weekend to mark Memorial Day. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Memorial Day 2025: When is it? Origins, what to say to military members
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The true story of Memorial Day's local origins
While more than two dozen cities and towns across the United States lay claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day, Petersburg holds a compelling and often overlooked place in the holiday's origin story. Some trace the origins — or at least the popularization — of Memorial Day to Petersburg's Blandford Cemetery. In 1868, Mary Logan, the wife of Union General John A. Logan, visited Blandford Church and was moved by the decorations she saw on the graves of Confederate soldiers. 'I noticed that many of them had been strewn with beautiful blossoms and decorated with small flags of the dead Confederacy,' Logan wrote in a 1903 article for the Los Angeles Daily Times. 'The sentimental idea so enwrapped me that I inspected them more closely and discovered that they were on every one of the graves of soldiers who had died for the Southern cause. The actions seemed to me to be a beautiful tribute to the soldier martyrs and grew upon me while I was returning to Washington.' Upon returning home, Logan shared the idea with her husband, suggesting the creation of an annual Decoration Day on which to decorate the graves of Union soldiers. As head of the Grand Army of the Republic, General Logan issued General Order No. 11 on May 5, 1868, setting May 30 as a day to decorate soldiers' graves — a day we now know as Memorial Day. Petersburg City Council member pushes for 5¢ plastic bag tax to fund city's beautification While Petersburg's contributions are significant, the origins of Memorial Day are woven from various traditions across the U.S., as there are many cases of towns and cities decorating and honoring soldier's graves before the custom was ever solidified into a holiday. For instance, on May 1, 1865, freed African Americans in Charleston, South Carolina, held a ceremony to honor Union soldiers who died in captivity, an event that some historians recognize as the first Memorial Day. Additionally, towns like Waterloo, New York, and Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, have their own claims, with Waterloo being officially recognized by Congress in 1966 as the birthplace of the holiday. While the exact origins of Memorial Day may be muddled, Mary Logan's visit to Petersburg played an undeniably important role in the popularization of the holiday, and is still remembered in the city to this day. 'On borrowed time': State presents schedule for closing Hiram W. Davis Medical Center Looking for something to do this Memorial Day around Petersburg? The Petersburg National Battlefield is hosting several special programs over Memorial Day weekend: May 23: Join park staff from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to help place flags at each grave in the battlefield's Poplar Grove National Cemetery. Send an email to pete_volunteer@ to sign up. May 24: At 2:30 p.m., a park ranger will lead a walking tour of Poplar Grove National Cemetery, providing insights into the history of this significant site. May 25: Experience a cannon firing demonstration with the Artillery Crew from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., taking place behind the Petersburg National Battlefield's Eastern Front Visitor Center. May 26: At 10 a.m., the Knights of Columbus will host a Catholic Mass open to the public at Poplar Grove National Cemetery. A representative from the Civil Air Patrol, U. S. Air Force Auxiliary, will also provide a ecumenical prayer. Walking tours of the cemetery will be offered at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tours will be led by NPS park rangers and highlight poignant stories of the soldiers buried at the site. May 27: Join park staff from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to assist in collecting the flags placed at each grave in Poplar Grove National Cemetery. Send an email to pete_volunteer@ to sign up. Trump is proposing cuts to affordable housing. This is what it could mean for Petersburg This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Did Memorial Day originate in Petersburg?
