Memorial Day, also known in the past as Decoration Day, was declared the official name by Federal law in 1967. We began celebrating Memorial Day on the last Monday of each May in 1971 when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect after being passed by Congress in June 1968. This Act also moved to Monday the following holidays; Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day (returned in 1978 back to the fixed date of November 11th), and Washington’s Birthday (also known as Presidents Day but that’s a whole other story).
Although the name and day of the memorial has changed over the years, the importance of honoring those who have sacrificed their lives to preserve the values of our country remain timeless. A National Moment of Remembrance resolution passed in 2000 encourages each American to pause for a moment at 3:00 p.m. to “remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom for all.”