Memorial Day Trivia

Memorial Day in the United States is observed on the last Monday in May, officially kicking off the summer season. However, the more important, and sometimes lost, reason to observe the holiday is to remember and honor the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. 

For Memorial Day each year, it is tradition to place small U.S. flags on the grave stones of United States service members to honor their sacrifice and service.

Volunteers place 260,000 flags on every grave in Arlington National Cemetery before Memorial Day.

Every year on Memorial Day at 3 PM local time, a National Moment of Remembrance or silence is observed in the United States. This tradition is a time for Americans to pause for one minute to remember and honor the sacrifices of those who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Decoration Day was the original name for Memorial Day. It began after the American Civil War to honor Union and Confederate soldiers who had died. The first official observance of Decoration Day took place on May 30, 1868, as flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Arlington National Cemetery is located in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the country's most hallowed burial grounds. Founded on May 13, 1864, during the Civil War, the cemetery serves as the final resting place for over 400,000 service members, veterans, and their families.