Memorial Day is about much more than simply having a day off from work or school, hosting a backyard barbecue, or taking a short getaway. It is a time to remember and honor the Americans who lost their lives while serving their country. Many people observe the holiday by attending parades, visiting cemeteries, or placing flags and flowers on the graves of fallen service members.
Outside of its somber origins, Memorial Day weekend has become a big shopping holiday, with consumers getting up to 90% off on their purchases. In addition, 65% of Americans plan to barbeque over Memorial Day weekend, while 18% will take a trip. Memorial Day’s place on the calendar has made it the unofficial start of summer for many.
To give you a deeper look into this well-known holiday, we explored Memorial Day from every angle to uncover some of the most interesting facts and statistics. You can view 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.
- 3.7M – People are expected to travel by plane over Memorial Day weekend (up 0.3% over 2025).
- 818 – Number of hot dogs consumed every second from Memorial Day to Labor Day (seven billion total).
- 15 to 90 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. – Instructor, Department of Marketing - Southeast Missouri State University
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Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management - Lynn University
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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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