Since 1971, on which weekday is the U.S. federal Memorial Day holiday observed?

Since 1971, the U.S. federal Memorial Day holiday has been observed on the last Monday in May.

The change came through the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, a law designed to create more three-day weekends by moving several federal holidays to Mondays. Memorial Day had traditionally been observed on May 30, regardless of the weekday.

The new federal schedule took effect in 1971. The holiday’s date can therefore fall anywhere from May 25 through May 31. This arrangement is separate from the historical first national observance, which took place on May 30, 1868.

The Monday schedule is sometimes confused with the holiday’s meaning. Memorial Day is not simply the beginning of summer; its official purpose is to honor U.S. service members who died in military service. The long weekend and retail traditions are modern additions to an older remembrance day.