5 things to know about Memorial Day, including its evolution and controversies
FILE - The sun shines through the flags in the Memorial Day Flag Garden on Boston Common, May 27, 2023, in Boston. Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members. But it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and retail discounts. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file) FILE - The sun shines through the flags in the Memorial Day Flag Garden on Boston Common, May 27, 2023, in Boston. Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members. But it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and retail discounts. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file)
By BEN FINLEY / Associated Press 7 min read
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.
But for people such as Manuel Castañeda Jr., the day is very personal. He lost his father, a U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam, in an accident in 1966 in California while his father was training other Marines.
“It isn’t just the specials. It isn’t just the barbecue,” Castañeda told The Associated Press in a discussion about Memorial Day last year.
Staff photo by Abby White / Westin Poindexter, 3, collects candy during the 1890 Days Jamboree parade. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .Staff photo by Abby White / Mason Taylor, 3, collects candy during the 1890 Days Jamboree parade. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .Staff photo by Abby White / Members of the Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle ride on a float during the 1890 Days Jamboree parade. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .Staff photo by Abby White / Vendors line downtown Ringgold, Georgia for 1890 Days Jamboree. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .Staff photo by Abby White / Louis Savor and Jackson Breedon, 4, admire a vintage John Deere engine. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .Staff photo by Abby White / Vendors line downtown Ringgold, Georgia for 1890 Days Jamboree. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .Staff photo by Abby White / Calhoun Morrow, 3, collects candy from the 1890 Days Jamboree parade. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .Staff photo by Abby White / Scott Oliver, left, fist bumps Kenley Watson, 7, during the 1890 Days Jamboree parade. 1890 Days Jamboree was held in downtown Ringgold, Georgia on Saturday, May 24, 2025, featuring a parade, vendors, and other activities to celebrate Memorial Day. .
