Memorial Day 2025: Date, importance, and how it’s observed

Memorial Day in 2025 is observed on Monday (May 26). The day marks a solemn occasion in the United States, honoring military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the US Armed Forces.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States, observed annually on the last Monday of May. It is often regarded as the unofficial start of summer, but its origins are deeply rooted in remembrance and mourning.

Historical background

Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday was first widely observed after the American Civil War to commemorate Union and Confederate soldiers who had died in battle. The practice of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers was a key part of the observance — hence the original name.

The first official national observance took place on May 30, 1868, following a proclamation by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans.

After World War I, the holiday evolved to honor all American military personnel who died in all wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by Congress and placed on the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend.

Significance

While many Americans use the long weekend for family gatherings, travel, and barbecues, Memorial Day remains a time for national reflection. Across the country, people visit cemeteries, place flags and flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers, and attend parades and memorial services. A national moment of remembrance is held at 3:00 PM local time, where Americans are encouraged to pause in silence to honor those who died in service.

The holiday is also marked by ceremonies at iconic locations such as Arlington National Cemetery, where the President or Vice President typically lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.