Here’s what Memorial Day signifies, and why it’s also considered the unofficial start of summer.

TAMPA, Fla. — Monday, May 25, 2026, is Memorial Day in the U.S. While some may be celebrating the unofficial start of summer with a boat day or a family cookout, for others, it’s a solemn day of remembrance.

Here’s the meaning behind Memorial Day and how it differs from Veterans Day in the U.S.


Memorial Day meaning

Memorial Day honors members of the military who have died, while Veterans Day recognizes all U.S. veterans for their service and sacrifice on behalf of their country.

While it was originally called Decoration Day, the first national observance of Memorial Day took place on May 30, 1868, when an organization of Union veterans called for decorating war graves with flowers that were in bloom.

Military families still use this day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers or participate in remembrance ceremonies honoring military lives lost.

The holiday is observed in part by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence.

Memorial Day always falls on the last Monday of May, which this year is May 25. Veterans Day, on the other hand, is always observed on Nov. 11.


Why does Memorial Day mark the unofficial start of summer?

The national importance of Memorial Day somewhat diminished with the addition of Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1918, according to Matthew Dennis, an emeritus history professor at the University of Oregon. 

Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I, became a national holiday in 1938 and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

In 1971, Congress changed Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May. Dennis said the creation of the three-day weekend helped transform Memorial Day into a day of leisure, which many use to mark the unofficial start of summer.

A year later, Time Magazine wrote that the holiday had become “a three-day nationwide hootenanny that seems to have lost much of its original purpose.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.