The holiday is observed on the last Monday of May, as weather is turn­ing warm and most schools and universities are adjourning for the summer, establishing Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial beginning of summer.

     On that three-day weekend, many people travel to visit friends and family. They attend events rang­ing from community gatherings to large sports competitions. The Indianapolis (“Indy”) 500 motor race, for instance, attracts an estimated 300,000 people on the Saturday before Memorial Day. But many Americans also visit cemeteries, where volunteers often place American flags on graves. On Memorial Day itself, a national moment of silence takes place at 3 p.m. local time to remember the war dead.

     Even as Americans enjoy the com­ing of summer, they also can be found in somber moods. Veterans Day, in contrast, honors every­one who serves or has served in defense of the country and is observed with celebrations on the same date each year, November 11.