Happy Memorial Day from Hollywood (2024)

Memorial Day was celebrated on Monday and celebrities took to social media to celebrate the annual US holiday.

Matthew McConaughey wrote on social media, 'Remember and respect,' as he added, 'Happy Memorial Day.'

Sofia Vergara wore a fiery red dress with her hair down as she posed with a female friend and her new Chihuahua puppy.

'Happy Memorial Day weekend to all!!❤️❤️,' wrote the Modern Family veteran who now works on America's Got Talent.

Susan Lucci of All My Children fame shared an old ripped photo of her father: 'Found treasure—this photo of my dad enlisting in the Army, WWII! Thank you, Dad and your generation—indeed “The Greatest Generation”.'

'I miss you every day—and Memorial Day is a time for special thanks and honor❤️ #godblessamerica.'

Candace Cameron Bure shared, 'Home of the FREE because of the BRAVE. ❤️Remembering those that fight for our freedom every day— thank you for your service #memorialday.'

Melissa Joan Hart shared a photo of a US flag: 'Today I pray for the lives of those who went before us in bravery and courage to protect our freedoms and our country! Thank you for your service, sacrifice and selflessness!#MemorialDay2024 (Artist unknown).'

Jaclyn Smith of Charlie's Angels fame said, 'Wishing you fun in the sun this holiday weekend!' while sharing a throwback photo from 1989.

Bette Midler shared, 'Today is #MemorialDay in the US, so read #FlandersFields, but spare a thought for the millions who died from the senseless hate humans have rained down on each other in the last 100 years since then, and the one million #Americans who perished during Covid just a few years ago.'

Bethenny Frankel wore a denim skirt and cowgirl boots as she wrote, 'New summer, new home, new chapter… may your Memorial Day be filled with meaning, family, memories and love. Be present, laugh and don’t take yourself too seriously… love you!'

The RHONY veteran was in the Hamptons.

Memorial Day tends to mark the unofficial start of summer for many Americans, though the season really begins with the Summer Solstice in mid-June.

The annual holiday - which is celebrated on the last Monday of May - is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces.

Since the Revolutionary War ended, 646,596 American troops have died in battle and more than 539,000 died from other, non-combat related causes.

It was formerly observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.

Flag etiquette on Memorial Day is unique, according to the Farmers Almanac.

At sunrise, flags are to be raised to full staff briskly, then lowered to half staff position, where they will remain until noon. See guidelines for flying the American Flag.

Traditionally, on Memorial Day (U.S.), volunteers often place small American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. Consider visiting a local cemetery to place flags; many organizations would be grateful for volunteers. Contact your local American Legion post, Daughters of the American Revolution, or Boy or Girl Scouts troops.

The custom of honoring ancestors by cleaning cemeteries and decorating graves is an ancient and worldwide tradition. In early rural America, it was usually performed in summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics.

The ritual of visiting family graves and memorials was never a morbid tradition. Rather, it was an annual act of remembrance, as well as a chance to clean and decorate family memorials.

Often, families would picnic as well; cemeteries were often the only open green spaces in crowded cities.

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, starting with the American Civil War. It's believed that the tradition of honoring the dead was inspired by the way Southern states decorated the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags.

Several cities and towns across the country lay claim as the first to observe Decoration Day. On May 5, 1866, Waterloo, New York, hosted its own community-wide event that, in 1966, led to President Lyndon Johnson declaring the town as the birthplace of Decoration Day.

Meanwhile, on May 5, 1868, inspired by the suggestion of veteran, Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (a fraternal organization of Union Civil War veterans), issued General Order No. 11, designating the 30th of May as an annual day of remembrance. The idea caught on.

U.S. President Joe Biden honored fallen soldiers during the 156th observance of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery outside the nation's capital on Monday.

Biden placed a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in a solemn ceremony, where he was accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

'We gather at this sacred place, at this solemn moment, to remember, to honor the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who have given their lives for this nation,' Biden said afterward at the cemetery's amphitheater.

Earlier in the day, Biden hosted a White House breakfast in honor of Memorial Day that included administration officials, military leadership, veterans and so-called Gold Star family members, referring to those who have lost an immediate relative in military action.

The Memorial Day ceremony is the latest in a string of events where Biden has focused on active and retired military personnel, including delivering the commencement speech on Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Next week, the president will travel to Normandy, France, to participate in ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. He is expected to give a major speech about the heroism of Allied forces in World War Two and the continuing threats to democracy today.

Thursday will mark the ninth anniversary of the death of Biden's son Beau, who served in Iraq as part of Delaware's National Guard. Beau died from glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that his father believes was possibly a consequence of exposure to military burn pits in Iraq.

'This week marks nine years since I lost my son, Beau,' Biden said. 'Our losses are not the same. He didn't perish on the battlefield. He was a cancer victim.

'The pain of his loss is with me every day ... so is the pride in his service,' the president said.

On Memorial Day, each grave site at Arlington will have a small American flag carefully positioned exactly one boot´s length away from the headstone. The flags were placed by 1,500 soldiers from the Army´s 3rd Infantry Regiment, better known as The Old Guard. The regiment has carried out the tradition, known as 'Flags In,' just before Memorial Day every year since 1948, when it was designated as the Army´s official ceremonial unit.