What is the purpose of Memorial Day? Answers vary greatly by age, new poll finds

For many Americans, Memorial Day is not what it used to be, according to new polling.

In a Savanta survey, a majority of respondents, 52%, said the holiday — observed on the last Monday in May — “has lost its original meaning.”

However, 60% still said that Memorial Day is primarily about honoring fallen service members, though opinions varied greatly based on age.

A large majority of those aged 60 and above, 76%, said honoring fallen soldiers is the main purpose of the holiday. Meanwhile, just 48% of 19- to 27-year-olds said the same.

This disparity “isn’t entirely surprising,” according to Savanta, as younger generations are further removed from major wars, like World War II.

Additionally, responses diverged by geographic region. A majority of respondents from the South, 63%, said Memorial Day is primarily about honoring soldiers, while just 48% of those in the Northeast said the same.

A disproportionate share of U.S. service members come from the South, with the highest share from South Carolina, according to an analysis from Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.

Further, 40% of respondents said they “look forward to reflecting on the purpose of the day,” and 62% said they think the holiday “brings people together, regardless of background or beliefs.”

The poll — which sampled 1,002 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points — also asked respondents about how companies should handle the holiday.

Fifty-one percent said they would prefer companies to donate part of their sales to veterans — as opposed to offering “traditional discounts.” And 64% said they are more likely to buy from businesses owned by veterans.

Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said “brands and influencers should stay quiet on Memorial Day unless they’re clearly acknowledging the military or the meaning behind the day.”

And, when asked about how they will celebrate, most said they’d eat burgers (61%), while fewer chose hot dogs (50%) and potato salad (46%).

However, many indicated they are feeling financial stress around the holiday, with just 22% feeling financially optimistic as summer kicks off. And most said they would keep any holiday travel affordable, with 45% staying with family or friends and just 18% staying at resorts or hotels.

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day dates back over 100 years, with its roots in the Reconstruction Era.

“In the waning years of the Civil War (1861–1865) and immediately afterward, communities in the North and South, Black and White, decorated soldiers’ graves with floral honors on springtime ‘decoration days,’” according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The holiday, officially instituted via a “Memorial Day Order” in 1868, was designated a national holiday in 1971.

For decades, most presidents have observed Memorial Day by participating in ceremonies that honor fallen soldiers.

In recent years, most have traveled to and given speeches at Arlington National Cemetery, located outside of Washington, D.C., the nation’s largest military grave site.

This year, in addition to delivering a speech, President Donald Trump wrote a lengthy post on Truth Social, in which he attacked his adversaries.

“HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL,” he wrote, “INCLUDING THE SCUM THAT SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY THROUGH WARPED RADICAL LEFT MINDS, WHO ALLOWED 21,000,000 MILLION PEOPLE TO ILLEGALLY ENTER OUR COUNTRY…”

This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 10:30 AM with the headline "What is the purpose of Memorial Day? Answers vary greatly by age, new poll finds."