It's a national holiday in the U.S. - people get the day off work or school to celebrate the lives of the fallen soldiers that have helped us get our freedom.

It's like Veteran's Day, but that holiday pays respect to soldiers who are still living.

The Memorial Day weekend is typically a great reason for people to kickstart their summer with a backyard BBQ, a trip to the beach or a day at the park.

But others go to cemetaries to put flowers on the graves of soldiers who have died and commemorate their lives.

"Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day began with an idea from General John Logan as a way to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War (the war between the North and South).

The first celebration on May 30, 1868, was held at Arlington National Cemetery with a crowd of 5,000 people decorating the graves of over 20,000 military personnel with flowers.

It wasn’t until after World War I that Memorial Day was expanded to honor all veterans who died in any American war.

In 1971, Decoration Day became officially known as Memorial Day and Congress passed an act declaring it a national holiday. That same year, Memorial Day was moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May by President Lyndon B. Johnson."

(https://www.rd.com/article/memorial-day-history/)