In the United States, Memorial Day is a US federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May.
Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service..
Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the beginning of the "summer vacation season."
This role is filled in neighboring Canada by Victoria Day, which occurs either on May 24 or the last Monday before that date,
placing it exactly one week before the US Memorial Day.
On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a
specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington's Birthday, now celebrated as
Presidents' Day; Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May.
The law took effect at the federal level in 1971
|
