Memorial Day in the United States
When is Memorial Day in United States?
Memorial Day in United States is on May 26, 2025. It falls on Monday.
How many days until Memorial Day in United States?
There are 184 Days left until Memorial Day in the United States.
Is Memorial Day a public holiday in United States?
Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, is a federal holiday observed annually on the last Monday in May in the United States. It is commemorated to pay tribute to the Americans who died while serving the country.
Memorial Day Origin
General John A. Logan, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), issued a proclamation on year 1868 calling for a nationwide annual commemoration day for Civil War’s lost lives called “Decoration Day”. In 1971, Decoration Day was renamed to Memorial Day. The first massive observance of Memorial Day took place at Arlington National Cemetery.
Why do Americans celebrate Memorial Day?
Originally, Decoration Day was observed to pay tribute to Civil War soldiers. Over the course of history, specifically after World War 1, such commemoration was extended to honor all Americans who lost their lives while serving the country as a member of the U.S Military Personnel. From then on, the observance was taken as a day to honor all militaries who died while on service. New York was the first state to name Memorial Day as a legal holiday on year 1873, which was then followed by other states by late 1800s. This holiday was previously observed on May 30 but that changed to last Monday of May when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968, the same law which made it a federal holiday.
Memorial Day Traditions in the United States
The following are the most common traditional practices observed by the Americans during the celebration of Memorial Day:
Flying the American Flag
Flying the American flag is a customary practice done on Memorial Day. This is seen as a way of paying tribute to the brave heroes who died for the country. There is a special rule on how the flag is going to be flown or raised though. On Memorial Day, the flag should only be raised at half-staff from sunrise until noon, and then raised to a full-staff for the remaining hours of the day – from afternoon until sunset.
Memorial Day Parades
For the Americans, attending a parade is one of the most common ways to celebrate Memorial Day. Small and large cities across the country are expected to arrange Memorial Day parades. These parades feature military vehicles from wars, marching bands, and others. Many Veteran Service Members are seen partaking on these activities alongside Active-Duty personnel, National Guard, and others. The largest parades organized for the day usually take place in Washington D.C, Chicago, and New York. Moreover, Memorial Day speeches are also done by important political figures and some other U.S. veterans.
Cemetery Visits
During this holiday, a lot of Americans would go to their local cemeteries or memorials to honor the men and women who died for the country. They typically bring flowers and American flags to decorate the soldiers’ graves. Decorating flowers on the soldiers’ graves is an old tradition that Americans practice until now. In the country’s national cemeteries, there are also volunteers who would often leave small American flags on the gravestones of the deceased military personnel.
National Memorial Day Concert
National Memorial Day Concert is another way to celebrate Memorial Day. It is held every year on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. This concert is organized to pay respect and honor those people who sacrificed and died while in service of the United States Armed Forces. Since it offers free admission, thousands of Americans are seen attending this event each year. The concert is broadcasted in both national and international television so those who cannot come personally can still watch the event.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 26 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| 2026 | May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| 2027 | May 31 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| 2028 | May 29 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| 2029 | May 28 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| 2030 | May 27 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Day | November 28, 2024 |
| Day after Thanksgiving Day | November 29, 2024 |
| Christmas Eve | December 24, 2024 |
Download or print free 2024 calendar which includes the list of holidays in United States. Free holiday calendar templates in more than 130 countries are provided in PDF, Excel, and Microsoft Word format. For those who like to get a calendar that starts on Monday, we also have ISO calendar.
The November 2024 monthly calendar for the United States shows the holidays for the month, which is helpful in planning schedule and events in reference to the upcoming holidays in the US. It is available in PDF, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel formats. You may select your preferred orientation and preferred start of week since we have Monday start calendar or Sunday start calendar.
If you are looking to print or download just a list of holidays in United States for the year 2024, we have that available in PDF, Word and Excel formats. This can be helpful for those who like to keep track of the holidays, be it for travel, work or any other purposes. It is free to use, just like the rest of our templates.