Memorial Day Countdown

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday of May each year. It honors military personnel who died while serving in the US armed forces. Originally called 'Decoration Day,' the holiday emerged in the years following the Civil War, when communities across the country began holding ceremonies to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. The official origin of Memorial Day is disputed — over two dozen cities claim to have held the first Decoration Day ceremony. The most commonly cited origin is Waterloo, New York, which held a community-wide ceremony on May 5, 1866. General John A. Logan, leader of the Grand Army of the Republic (a Union veterans organization), officially proclaimed May 30 as Decoration Day in 1868. The choice of May 30 was deliberate — it did not fall on any particular battle's anniversary, ensuring neutrality between Northern and Southern states. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American war dead rather than only Civil War casualties. Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968, moving Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday of May to create a three-day weekend — a change that took effect in 1971. Memorial Day weekend has become the unofficial start of summer in the US, marked by barbecues, pool openings, parades, and travel. At 3:00 PM local time on Memorial Day, Americans are asked to observe a National Moment of Remembrance.

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