Ready for the long weekend? For many, Memorial Day means a cookout, a day at the beach, a day on the lake or just a surefire three-day weekend. It’s widely considered the unofficial start of summer in the U.S.
But the federal holiday isn’t just a guaranteed day off from work; it’s a day of remembrance and commemoration for military members who lost their lives in service.
Here’s when Memorial Day 2026 is, a brief history of the holiday and the next three-day weekend coming up this summer.
When is Memorial Day 2026?
Memorial Day 2026 will be next Monday, May 25.
Memorial Day is not tied to a fixed calendar date. It’s observed every year on the last Monday in May, ensuring a three-day weekend for federal employees.
Is Memorial Day for fallen soldiers? What the holiday represents
Many people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans’ Day, but they’re completely different.
“The holiday was created to honor the many American men and women who died in military service,” The Farmers’ Almanac said. “This focus on those who made the ultimate sacrifice sets it apart from Veterans’ Day, which honors all military veterans, living and dead.”
How did Memorial Day start? History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day began as a day of commemorating the service of Civil War soldiers and wasn’t originally called “Memorial Day.”
“Originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country,” PBS says.
“It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers.”
After World War I, the modern Memorial Day we celebrate today started to take shape.
“After World War I, it became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars and was then more widely established as a national holiday throughout the United States,” PBS’s history of the holiday says.
“In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be commemorated on the last Monday of May.”
What is Confederate Memorial Day?
Some states legally observe Confederate Memorial Day, but it is not a federal holiday.
It is one of three Confederate holidays that Florida still legally observes and it commemorates soldiers who died fighting for the Confederacy. It is not a paid holiday and has never been publicly recognized by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida added Confederate Memorial Day and General Robert E. Lee’s birthday in the 1890s, and the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in 1905. Those designations have stayed in place through decades of changes to other state holidays.
According to Time and Date, Confederate Memorial Day is a state holiday in Alabama, Florida and Georgia on the fourth Monday in April.
In Mississippi, it is observed on the last Monday in April. In South Carolina and North Carolina, it falls on May 10.
Is Memorial Day the kick-off of summer?
Yes, many in the U.S. consider Memorial Day to mark the unofficial start of summer.
Conversely, many see Labor Day weekend, which is also a three-day weekend, as the unofficial close of the summer season in the U.S. Labor Day always falls on the first Monday of September.
The official start of astronomical summer is the summer solstice on Sunday, June 21, 2026. The official start of meteorological summer will land on Monday, June 1, 2026.
When is Labor Day 2026?
Labor Day, which is considered the unofficial end of summer, always falls on the first Monday of September. In 2026, Labor Day will fall on Sept. 7.
When is the next long weekend? Three-day weekends summer 2026
Here’s a list of the three-day weekends coming up this summer:
Federal Holidays in 2026
Memorial Day and Labor Day are two of 11 permanent federal holidays.
Here’s the list of federal holidays in the U.S.:
Contributing: C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
Lianna Norman is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Memorial Day 2026 this weekend. When is the next 3-day weekend?
Reporting by Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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