Today, Monday, the country comes to a relative standstill as those fallen in combat are remembered by those for whom they sacrificed their lives.
While Memorial Day is unfortunately now more associated with vacation, beach days, and mattress sales, the day is actually quite somber.
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local Page 2 veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff.
In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be commemorated on the last Monday of May. It is the fourth federal and state holiday of the year.
Here’s what’s open and what’s closed for Memorial Day:
All government offices and services are closed, including courts, agencies, and USPS. FedEx and UPS are also closed for business, except for critical packages.
Most banks are closed, including all major ones.
The vast majority of supermarkets are open, though Costco is closed.
Most major retail stores, like Walmart and Target, are open today, but check their opening and closing times before heading there.