In addition to the national holiday, nine states officially set aside a day to honor those who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War: Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia. The days vary, but only Virginia observes Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of May, in accordance with the federal observance of Memorial Day.
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Memorial Day
Memorial Day is not all sunshine and hot dogs — it's a day for remembrance. Here, TIME presents some little-known facts about the start-of-summer holiday
Several states observe Confederate Memorial Day
Full List
Memorial Day Facts
- Beyond the Barbecues
- It was originally called Decoration Day
- It wasn’t always celebrated the last Monday of May
- Observe a National Moment of Remembrance — It’s the Law
- James A. Garfield delivered a rather lengthy speech at the first Memorial Day ceremony
- Several states observe Confederate Memorial Day
- Waterloo, NY is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day
- Nearly 35 million Americans are expected to travel this Memorial Day