Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place American flags at the graves of U.S. soldiers buried in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day May 24, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia.
This may come as a surprise — we hope you’re sitting down — but Memorial Day was not invented as an excuse to take a long weekend and loaf around eating grilled meats. The holiday was established to honor those who died in the bloody conflicts of the Civil War, and continues to serve as a day of remembrance for fallen American soldiers. So before you slather on your sunscreen (and if you weren’t planning on doing that, we recommend you do) and head out for some sunshine, here’s a look at some little-known facts about everyone’s favorite summer kickoff holiday.