Memorial Day 2027 falls on Monday, May 31, 2027. It is a federal holiday, and the long weekend runs Saturday, May 29 through Monday, May 31.
May 31 is the latest date Memorial Day can ever fall. The holiday is fixed to the last Monday in May, which confines it to a seven-day window from May 25 to May 31, and 2027 lands on the final day of that window.
One consequence reaches all the way to September: the span from Memorial Day to Labor Day 2027 is 98 days, the shortest unofficial summer the calendar permits.
Table of Contents
When is Memorial Day 2027?
Memorial Day 2027 falls Monday, May 31 — the latest date it can ever occur. The holiday weekend and surrounding dates:
| Date | Day | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, May 29 | Saturday | Holiday weekend begins |
| Sunday, May 30 | Sunday | Traditional Decoration Day date |
| Monday, May 31 | Monday | Memorial Day, federal holiday |
| Tuesday, June 1 | Tuesday | Return to work |
How the date of Memorial Day is set
Memorial Day is defined in 5 U.S.C. 6103 as the last Monday in May. Because the rule names a weekday rather than a fixed date, the holiday can never fall on a weekend and never requires the observance shift that applies to Juneteenth, Independence Day and Christmas.
The date was not always Monday. Memorial Day was observed on May 30 from 1868 until the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, moving it — along with Washington’s Birthday, Columbus Day and what was then Veterans Day — to a fixed Monday to create three-day weekends.
Veterans Day was later returned to its November 11 date; Memorial Day was not.
Some veterans’ organisations have campaigned for decades to restore the May 30 observance, on the argument that a guaranteed long weekend has diluted the day’s purpose. No legislation to do so has passed.
Memorial Day 2027 closures by institution
| Institution | Monday, May 31, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Federal offices | Closed |
| Banks and Federal Reserve | Closed |
| U.S. Postal Service | No delivery, offices closed |
| NYSE and Nasdaq | Closed |
| Bond markets, SIFMA | Closed |
| UPS and FedEx | No pickup or delivery, critical services only |
| State and local government | Closed in all 50 states |
| Public schools | Closed |
| Retail, grocery, restaurants | Open, major sale weekend |
| National parks | Open, peak attendance |
Memorial Day is one of the few federal holidays observed identically across every state and by every major institution.
There is no state-level variation to check, which makes it the opposite of Good Friday.
Memorial Day is not Veterans Day
The two are frequently confused and honour different groups.
| Memorial Day | Veterans Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Date 2027 | Monday, May 31 | Thursday, November 11 |
| Honours | Military personnel who died in service | All who have served, living and dead |
| Rule | Last Monday in May | Fixed date, November 11 |
| Origin | Decoration Day, 1868 | Armistice Day, 1919 |
| Long weekend | Always | Only when November 11 falls near one |
| Common greeting | “Happy Memorial Day” is contested | “Thank you for your service” is standard |
Because Memorial Day honours the dead specifically, many veterans’ organisations discourage the cheerful greeting that has attached to it.
Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May — May 15 in 2027 — is the day designated for honouring those currently serving.
Memorial Day dates 2025 to 2032
| Year | Memorial Day | Labor Day | Days between |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 26 | September 1 | 98 |
| 2026 | May 25 | September 7 | 105 |
| 2027 | May 31 | September 6 | 98 |
| 2028 | May 29 | September 4 | 98 |
| 2029 | May 28 | September 3 | 98 |
| 2030 | May 27 | September 2 | 98 |
| 2031 | May 26 | September 1 | 98 |
| 2032 | May 31 | September 6 | 98 |
98 days is the standard span, because both holidays are Monday-anchored and usually move together.
2026 is the exception at 105 days, which happens when Memorial Day falls early and Labor Day falls late.
Observance and the National Moment of Remembrance
The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress in 2000, asks Americans to pause for one minute at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.
In 2027 that is 3:00 p.m. on Monday, May 31, observed in each time zone rather than simultaneously nationwide.
Flag protocol on Memorial Day is unique among federal holidays. The flag is flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon, then raised to full staff for the remainder of the day.
The half-staff period mourns the dead; the raising signals that the living continue their work. No other federal holiday uses this two-stage protocol.
What Memorial Day 2027 is not
Memorial Day is not a fixed-date holiday. It cannot be looked up as May 30, which was its date before 1971 and remains the date some organisations prefer.
It is not Veterans Day, and it is not Armed Forces Day. All three are distinct observances honouring different groups.
It is not the astronomical start of summer. Summer 2027 begins at the June solstice on Monday, June 21 at 10:10 a.m. EDT, three weeks after Memorial Day.
The “unofficial start of summer” is a cultural convention tied to school calendars and the travel season, not an astronomical event.
Frequently asked questions
What day is Memorial Day 2027?
Monday, May 31, 2027. This is the latest date Memorial Day can occur. The holiday is fixed to the last Monday in May under 5 U.S.C. 6103, giving it a possible range of May 25 to May 31.
Is the post office open on Memorial Day 2027?
No. The U.S. Postal Service is closed on Monday, May 31, 2027, with no regular mail delivery. Priority Mail Express is the only service that continues. Banks, federal offices and the stock exchanges are also closed.
Why is Memorial Day on a Monday instead of May 30?
Because the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it, effective 1971. The law shifted several federal holidays to fixed Mondays to create three-day weekends. Memorial Day had been observed on May 30 since 1868, when it was known as Decoration Day. Veterans Day was moved by the same act but later returned to November 11; Memorial Day was not.
