When Is Memorial Day?
Memorial Day 2027 is on Monday, May 31 — in 207 days. It is always the last Monday in May.
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
Memorial Day is the federal holiday for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the US armed forces. First observed nationally as Decoration Day on May 30, 1868, it has fallen on the last Monday in May since 1971.
May 2027 calendar
Memorial Day is marked on Monday, May 31, 2027, along with the other US federal holidays and observances of the month.
- Federal holiday / day off
- Observance
- Weekend
May 2027 – Memorial Day 2027
| Wk | SundaySun | MondayMon | TuesdayTue | WednesdayWed | ThursdayThu | FridayFri | SaturdaySat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | ||||||
| 18 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5Cinco de Mayo | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 19 | 9Mother's Day | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 21 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 22 | 30 | 31Memorial Day |
Memorial Day dates 2020–2040
Between 2020 and 2040, Memorial Day falls as early as May 25 (2020, 2026, 2037) and as late as May 31 (2021, 2027, 2032, 2038). It is always a Monday.
| Year | Date | 3-day weekend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Sat, May 23 – Mon, May 25 | |
| 2021 | Sat, May 29 – Mon, May 31 | |
| 2022 | Sat, May 28 – Mon, May 30 | |
| 2023 | Sat, May 27 – Mon, May 29 | |
| 2024 | Sat, May 25 – Mon, May 27 | |
| 2025 | Sat, May 24 – Mon, May 26 | |
| 2026 | Sat, May 23 – Mon, May 25 | |
| 2027 | Next | Sat, May 29 – Mon, May 31 |
| 2028 | Sat, May 27 – Mon, May 29 | |
| 2029 | Sat, May 26 – Mon, May 28 | |
| 2030 | Sat, May 25 – Mon, May 27 | |
| 2031 | Sat, May 24 – Mon, May 26 | |
| 2032 | Sat, May 29 – Mon, May 31 | |
| 2033 | Sat, May 28 – Mon, May 30 | |
| 2034 | Sat, May 27 – Mon, May 29 | |
| 2035 | Sat, May 26 – Mon, May 28 | |
| 2036 | Sat, May 24 – Mon, May 26 | |
| 2037 | Sat, May 23 – Mon, May 25 | |
| 2038 | Sat, May 29 – Mon, May 31 | |
| 2039 | Sat, May 28 – Mon, May 30 | |
| 2040 | Sat, May 26 – Mon, May 28 |
From Decoration Day to Memorial Day
After the Civil War, communities in both the North and the South decorated soldiers' graves with flowers. Early observances include Boalsburg, Pennsylvania (1864), a largely Black assembly that honored 257 Union dead in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 1, 1865, and grave-decorating days in Columbus, Mississippi, and Columbus, Georgia, in April 1866.
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued General Orders No. 11, setting May 30 as a day for decorating the graves of the Union dead with flowers — hence the name Decoration Day. The first national observance was held that day at Arlington National Cemetery, where James A. Garfield, then a congressman, spoke and children from a soldiers' orphan home placed flowers and flags on the graves.
New York was the first state to recognize the holiday, in 1873, and every Union state had done so by 1890. The name Memorial Day came into common use over time.
Why it moved to a Monday
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act (Public Law 90-363, signed June 28, 1968) moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, to give federal employees a three-day weekend. Federal law (5 U.S.C. § 6103) now reads simply: "Memorial Day, the last Monday in May."
How the day is observed
- National Moment of Remembrance: the National Moment of Remembrance Act (Public Law 106-579, December 2000) asks Americans to pause for a minute of silence at 3 PM local time.
- Ceremonies are held at national cemeteries, including Arlington National Cemetery.
What's open and closed
- Federal offices are closed; it is one of the 11 federal holidays.
- Federal Reserve Banks are closed, and post offices are closed with no regular mail delivery.
- The New York Stock Exchange is closed, and SIFMA recommends a full close of the bond market. On the Friday before, SIFMA has recommended an early 2:00 PM ET bond-market close.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration – Memorial Day History
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Federal holidays
- 5 U.S.C. § 6103 – Legal public holidays (Cornell LII)
- 4 U.S.C. § 6 – Days to display the flag (Cornell LII)
- Congressional Research Service – Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices
- NYSE – Holidays and trading hours
- SIFMA – Holiday schedule (bond market recommendations)
Frequently asked questions
When is Memorial Day 2028?
Memorial Day 2028 is on Monday, May 29, 2028. Federal employees get a 3-day weekend, Sat, May 27 – Mon, May 29, 2028.
What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?
Memorial Day, in May, honors service members who died in military service. Veterans Day, on November 11, honors everyone who has served in the armed forces, living or dead.
Where was Memorial Day born?
Several towns claim to be first, including Columbus, Mississippi, and Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1966 Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson officially recognized Waterloo, New York, which had held Memorial Day events for a century, as the holiday's birthplace.
Is the flag flown at half-staff on Memorial Day?
Only until noon. Under 4 U.S.C. § 6 the flag is flown at half-staff in the morning and then raised to the top of the staff for the rest of the day.
When did Memorial Day become a federal holiday?
In 1888, when Decoration Day became a holiday for federal employees in Washington, D.C. It was held on May 30 until the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971.