Memorial Day, one of the United States' first federal holidays in several months, is almost here. For many, it marks the unofficial start of summer as pools and outdoor activities open up ...

Here’s when Memorial Day 2025 is, a brief history of the holiday and a list of federal holidays in the U.S. Many people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans’ Day, but they’re completely different.

Even in the 19th century, grave ceremonies were followed by leisure activities such as picnicking ... according to the 2002 book “A History of Memorial Day: Unity, Discord and the Pursuit ...

Brands, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote by email. About 160 years after the end of the American Civil War, the true origins of Memorial Day remain unclear ...