Memorial Day is a United States holiday to the men and women who have died while in the armed forces. The armed forces include branches of the U.S. military. Those branches are , Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Memorial is a federal holiday, which means government offices, , post offices, and schools are closed. Memorial Day always observed on the last Monday of May. Day has its roots in the U.S. Civil when a holiday, Decoration Day, was established to both Union and Confederate soldiers who died. On Day people used to "decorate" the graves of soldiers with flags and flowers. The name Memorial became more widely used after World War II the late 1940s. However, the holiday wasn't officially Memorial Day until 1967.

Memorial Day is commemorated ceremonies in cemeteries across the country. The most -known one is held in Arlington National Cemetery near D.C. Arlington is a military cemetery, meaning only personnel are buried there. Volunteers place U.S. flags military graves at Arlington and other national cemeteries. are also parades in honor of fallen service held in different towns and cities. Another Memorial tradition is flying the U.S. flag at half until noon, meaning it is flown at half normal height. This is considered a sign of . The flag is raised to its full height noon as a sign that the military will up despite the loss. There is also a Memorial Day concert that takes place on the of the U.S. Capital.

Memorial Day is also as the unofficial start of the summer season. beaches and pools open up for Memorial Day . Many people also host barbecues on Memorial Day .