Memorial Day is officially observed this year on Monday, May 30, 2022 with parades, speeches and Memorial Day quotes to mark the day.
Along with remembering the fallen, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer -- as pools and US beaches open for the season and families make plans to hit the great outdoors or the movie theater!
What's open
/ closed on Memorial Day
Don't expect banks, the stock market, schools, or the post office to be open on Memorial Day.
BUT you can expect big 2022 Memorial Day sales to be in full swing at a mall or department store near you! Restaurants big and small, fast food joints, all the major convenience stores, and movie theaters will also be packing them for the unofficial start of the summer season.
After numerous delays due to the COVID pandemic, watch for Tom Cruise in his long-awaited reprise in "Top Gun: Maverick" which finally opens for the 2022 Memorial Day weekend. For the whole family, there's also everybody's favorite patty-slinging cartoon family up to their usual antics in "The Bob's Burgers Movie" also opening especially for the long three-day holiday weekend.
Opening Memorial Day weekend 2022
And wait, there are more summer blockbusters on the way in June. Mark your calendars to see the next Jurassic Park saga when "Jurassic World Dominion" opens on June 10, followed by another Toy Story
installment with "Lightyear" opening June 17. The month finally wraps up with newcomer Austin Butler playing "Elvis" in a new biopic opening June 24.
Enjoy!
Memorial Day party planning
Fire up the barbecue, mix up a batch of homemade
lemonade, and get ready for outdoor fun as Memorial Day weekend begins the summer season in the USA!
(Don't forget to have other favorite beverages on hand, placed in coolers marked "soda" or "beer" so guests can help themselves.)
Buy invitations, or get creative by making your own invitations with printable Memorial Day clip art and use wording such as "Red, white, blue ... and YOU!" or "Chillin' and grillin' on Memorial Day!"
On party day, get festive by hanging the American flag, and the red, white, and blue streamers. A pool party, Hawaiian luau or any outdoor party theme would also work during this a summer kick-off celebration.
After all the planning and prep, it's time to sit back, chill out, and enjoy another memorable Memorial Day!
DID YOU KNOW? Memorial Day fun facts & trivia
Rolling Thunder riders descend on the
nation's capital each Memorial Day weekend.
• The "Rolling Thunder" of bikers began in Washington DC in 1988 bringing attention to Vietnam War POW's and MIA's. Today, more than a million riders and spectators converge on the capital on Memorial Day in what has become the world’s largest single-day motorcycle event.
• Memorial Day was first known as Decoration Day when families decorated the graves of soldiers who served in the Civil War. Eventually, the day became a remembrance of all brave military men and women. By 1967, the observance was officially changed to Memorial Day.
• The first Decoration Day in 1868 was extra memorable (but not in a good way) as James Garfield stepped up to the podium at Arlington National Cemetary. While ignoring the blistering heat, the future President gave a speech that lasted 1 1/2 hours during "a spring day too warm for comfort," observed the New York Times.
• There is a National Moment of Remembrance which asks all Americans to pause each Memorial Day for one minute at 3pm. Little observed today, the moment arrives exactly at the time when most Americans are chowing down on hamburgers and hot dogs.
also see in Summer -> Summer Concerts | Summer Party Ideas
also see in Holidays -> Father's Day | Flag Day
After a the dark, gloomy days of winter and the pollen haze of spring, there is probably nothing that sounds better than warmer weather, blue skies, and a three-day weekend where we can (safely!) gather with friends and family for a backyard cookout and maybe some fireworks. And, if you're like us, you're eagerly anticipating the upcoming Memorial Day long weekend. After all, we typically consider Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer.
Traditionally, the holiday weekend means a cookout of some sort, a spread of classic Memorial Day desserts, a patriotic playlist of fun tunes, and valuable time spent with family and friends who are family. To pump yourself up and get into the spirit of the day, check out some Memorial Day quotes that remind us why we're proud to be Americans.
And to that end, it's important to remember that this holiday is about so much more than a cookout or a change in the seasons. First and foremost, it's observed to remember those who fought for our freedom—the heroes who gave their lives to protect the prosperity of our country. We hope you'll pause and remember them this year and remind your children, family, and friends to do the same.
Still, no matter what your plans are for the weekend, you may be wondering: When is Memorial Day Weekend 2022? We all know that the holiday comes around every May, but its exact date changes year to year. Here, we're sharing the exact date for 2022, plus some of the history of Memorial Day.
When is Memorial Day Weekend 2022?
This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 30, 2022. The date changes every year, but there actually is a method to the madness: Memorial Day is always held on the last Monday in May.
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What is the history of Memorial Day?
Memorial Day was created to honor the brave people who died while serving in the U.S. military. One of the very first known observances took place way back on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina, right after the end of the Civil War, according to the History Channel. A group of freed enslaved men, women, and children had buried the bodies of Union soldiers after Confederate soldiers evacuated Charleston. On May 1, people gathered for a parade in the fallen soldiers' honor, singing hymns and placing flowers at the fighters' graves.
A few years later, Union General John A. Logan declared there be a date of remembrance for those who died during the Civil War. He chose May 30, 1868, because it wasn't already the anniversary of a battle. However, the Southern states opted to create their own day specifically for Confederate soldiers. As a matter of fact, there are nine states that still hold a commemoration for the people who fought for the Confederacy.
Though people certainly continued holding tributes for the fallen, Memorial Day was unofficial for many more years. Decades later, in 1950, the U.S. Congress agreed upon a resolution asking the president to "issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe...Memorial Day, by praying, each in accordance with his religious faith, for permanent peace." Then, in 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed, which declared that Memorial Day would occur on the final Monday every May. It also required a day off work for federal employees. Finally, in 1971, the anniversary officially became a federal holiday.
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