Summer officially begins on Friday, June 20, in 2025. But everyone knows that the real start to the season is, in fact, on Memorial Day. Landing on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is a federal holiday and a majority of schools and businesses are closed in observance of the day.
Much like Labor Day serves as the unofficial end of summer, Memorial Day typically kicks it off with many people using the long weekend as an excuse to travel, go to the beach, host a cookout or spend time with friends and family.
Whatever you've got planned for the holiday this year, you may be wondering, “When is Memorial Day in 2025?”
Similar to Thanksgiving and Easter, Memorial Day is observed on a different date each year, unlike, say, Christmas or Independence Day, which are on the same date year over year, but not the same day.
To ensure you've got plenty of time to find your swimsuit and bust out the patio furniture, we've got all the details on Memorial Day in 2025, including the day, date, history and meaning behind why we observe the May holiday.
Here's what to know in order to get your summer celebration underway.
When is Memorial Day in 2025?
This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 26, which is a bit earlier than usual.
Typically, the holiday is observed anywhere from May 27 to May 31. But every few years, Memorial Day falls earlier in the month. For example, in 2008 and 2014, the holiday was observed on May 26, as it is this year. And, on a handful of occasions, Memorial Day is even earlier, falling on May 25, which it did in 2009, 2015, 2020, and will again in 2026.
What is the meaning behind Memorial Day?
Memorial Day is one of 11 federal holidays observed each year and is set aside to honor and remembermilitary servicemenand women who've sacrificed their lives in service to their country.
In 1868, it was officially designated as a day to honor those fallen in service to their country during the Civil War.
According to theLibrary of Congress, three years after the end of the war, John A. Logan, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, set aside May 30 for “Soldiers’ Memorial Day.”
Intended to remember Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the conflict, Logan decreed that the day should be for “strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.”
Over time, the Memorial Day holiday was expanded to include fallen soldiers from all American wars. In 1971, Congress declared it a national holiday, changing the observance from May 30 to the last Monday in May.
The annual holiday is also referred to as “Decoration Day” in recognition of the flowers, flags and other adornments that decorate the graves of fallen military persons.
How is Memorial Day commemorated?
Each year, many communities across the U.S. hold parades or ceremonies to recognize veterans, active service members and other military personnel.
Those who have lost family or friends use the occasion to visit the graves of their loved ones, leaving flowers orother mementosof remembrance and respect.
To pay tribute to fallen servicemen and women,a wreath is placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldierin an annual ceremony held at Arlington Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia on Memorial Day.
In 2000, Congress signed the “The National Moment of Remembrance Act” into law. From that point forward, citizens were encouraged to pause for a moment of silence to remember those who’ve died in service to our country at 3 p.m. local time each and every Memorial Day.
If you plan to fly a flag on Memorial Day, it should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to noon, then it should be briskly raised to the top of the staff until sunset.
Sarah Lemire
Sarah Lemire is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for TODAY based in New York City. She covers holidays, celebrities and everything in between.
