Memorial Day 2024 - Sales & Summer Family Fun

Memorial Day is officially observed this year on Monday, May 27, 2024 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 2024 Memorial Day sales to be in full swing at a mall or department store near you! Restaurants big and small, fast food joints, and movie theaters will also be packing them for the unofficial start of the summer season.

During Memorial Day weekend, movie fans can look forward to the premieres of "Fuiosa" starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, "Garfield" starring Chris Pratt; "Imaginary Friends" starring Matt Damon and Phoebe Waller-Bridge; and "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" starring Owen Teague and Freya Allen.

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.

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