Memorial Day is more than just a day off from work or school, an excellent occasion for a backyard barbeque or a chance to travel. It’s a day to honor Americans who have died in service to their country. Many Americans demonstrate their patriotism on this day by attending parades or decorating the graves of the fallen.
Outside of its somber origins, Memorial Day weekend has become a big shopping holiday, with consumers getting up to 85% off on their purchases. In addition, 58% of Americans plan to barbeque over Memorial Day weekend, while 17% will take a trip. Memorial Day’s place on the calendar has made it the unofficial start of summer for many.
To help you get to know this popular holiday even better, we analyzed it from top to bottom in search of the most revealing Memorial Day facts and stats. You can check out our findings in the infographic below. We also hosted a Q&A with several experts, who shared some great summer saving tips. Enjoy!
5 Interesting Facts About Memorial Day:
- 100 – Members of the 119th Congress have served in the U.S. military, only the 5th time in the last 50 years with an increase at all in the total veterans elected.
- 100M+ – Households worldwide will watch the National Memorial Day parade broadcast on TV.
- 3.6M – People are expected to travel by plane over Memorial Day weekend (up 2% over 2024).
- 818 – Number of hot dogs consumed every second from Memorial Day to Labor Day (seven billion total).
- 20 to 85 Percent Off – Discount shoppers can expect during Memorial Day weekend sales.
Ask the Experts: Making the Most of Memorial Day
For advice on how to navigate Memorial Day weekend sales, we posed the following questions to a group of personal finance and retail experts. You can check out their bios and responses below.
- What is the best way to honor the memory of our fallen countrymen this Memorial Day?
- Do you believe Memorial Day has become too commercialized?
- What types of bargains should shoppers be looking out for this Memorial Day?
- What money-saving tips do you have for people planning to travel on Memorial Day?
Ask the Experts
Ph.D., Professor of Business Administration, Dept. of Business Administration - Augsburg University
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Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing, Coles College of Business - Kennesaw State University
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Assistant Professor of Marketing, G. Brint Ryan College of Business - University of North Texas
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Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Business Administration; Director of the Sport Management and Promotion Program - University of Saint Joseph
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Emergency Management Faculty Member, Tulane School of Professional Advancement – Tulane University
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Ph.D., CMP, CHE, CWP – Associate Professor & Program Coordinator, Hospitality and Tourism, Department of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism, College of Education and Allied Studies – California State University, East Bay
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