Monday in May, is recognized this year on Monday, May 26. Most local and federal government offices are closed but many retail stores are open. Memorial Day was originally known as “Decoration Day,” and originated in the years following the Civil War,

In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May. The U.S. holiday is also considered the unofficial opening of the summer travel season,

Memorial Day is often considered the unofficial start of summer in the U.S., and it's also the start of a historically strong season for stocks. The major U.S. stock indexes tend to do well between Memorial Day and Labor Day.