Memorial Day flags. Ben Franske / wikimedia / 2005 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Memorial Day in the United States is a day to honour military people who have died in the course of duty. It falls on the last day of May.
The day also marks the symbolic start of summer, and that means the start of summer foods.
It’s summer’s unofficial kick-off, and if people haven’t already fired up the backyard grill for this year, chances are they will now.
Because it’s also the day to remember members of the U.S’s armed forces, many restaurants will offer discounts today to both veterans and active military personnel.
#MemorialDay
Further reading
Memorial Day on Encyclopaedia Britannica
Memorial Day Weekend Food Safety Tips From USDA: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/05/memorial-day-weekend-food-safety-tips-from-usda/
History
Memorial Day was originally on the 30th of May, which may or may not have fallen in a way that gave people a long weekend. In 1970, it was changed to fix it to be the last Monday of May, guaranteeing a long weekend. There has been criticism that this has since led to a downgrading of the solemnity of the holiday, as people treat the long weekend more as a festive occasion and forget the “memorial” part.