Why is Memorial Day on the last Monday in May?

Answer 1

Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) was one of the holidays included in the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by Congress, signed into law on June 28, 1968 and going into effect on January 1, 1971. This Act gave federal employees several three-day weekends during the year. Prior to that, Memorial Day was observed on May 30 no matter what day of the week it was.

Answer 2

On May 5, 1868 General John Alexander Logan, a Union general during the US Civil War and then National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic (a fraternal group of veterans), officially declared a holiday that was then known as Decoration Day. It was first observed on May 30, 1868 (which was a Saturday) at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia when the graves of soldiers, both Union and Confederate, were decorated with flowers to honor the war dead of the Civil War. It continued to be observed on May 30 no matter what day of the week that was. But after World War I it was expanded to include those who had died in all wars or military actions in which the United States was involved.

More and more it came to be known as Memorial Day but it was not officially renamed to Memorial Day until 1967. In 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed and signed into law. Memorial Day was one of the holidays that was affected by this law that moved several holidays from their original dates to a Monday to make it possible for federal employees to have three-day weekends. This law went into effect on January 1, 1971 and Memorial Day has been on a Monday since that year.

Answer 3

Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) was first observed on Saturday May 30, 1868. For 103 years it was observed on May 30, no matter what day of the week it was, until 1971 when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act went into effect. This Act moved several holidays from their traditional dates to a Monday so federal employees would have three-day weekends. Since 1971 Memorial Day has been the last Monday in May.

Answer 4

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act (passed by Congress in 1968 and taking effect on January 1, 1971) moved several holidays from their traditional dates to a Monday to give federal employees three-day weekends. Memorial Day was one of these holidays and was moved from May 30th to the last Monday in May.