Memorial Day: From Civil War Graves to Summer Sales

Memorial Day began as a solemn tribute to Civil War dead. The first national observance, then called Decoration Day, was held May 30, 1868, though earlier commemorations took place in several communities, including a gathering of some 10,000 people, many of them Black, in Charleston, South Carolina, as early as May 1865. Over time the holiday’s meaning broadened. Veterans Day was established in 1954, and in 1971 Congress moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend. Critics noted the shift accelerated its transformation into a day of leisure and commerce. Today it officially marks the fallen with a National Moment of Silence at 3 p.m., but is more widely associated with travel, barbecues, and retail sales.