Today is Memorial Day, the holiday dedicated to honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military, and it is always observed on the last Monday of May.

Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971. Memorial Day is the fourth federal and state holiday of the year. It is one of several holidays whose date changes each year in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Others include Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Columbus Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day.

The day is set aside to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom.  Sometimes, the day is confused with Veterans Day – which is celebrated in November.  Veterans Day is set aside to honor living members and former members of our nation’s armed forces.  Memorial Day observances in the United States began after the Civil War when Confederate widows would decorate the graves of both Union and Confederate Soldiers to honor their sacrifice.

The next federal holiday is Independence Day on Saturday, July 4, 2020.