Before you go out and celebrate Memorial Day weekend, check out some of these new statistics.

First and foremost, Memorial Day is a holiday designated to honoring all of the wonderful Americans who have died in service to our country. Over 42 million veterans have served our country in war time, with 1.3 million losing their lives in conflict. Memorial Day has also become the unofficial kickoff of summer, with many students finishing up their last few days of school. There are many different aspects of the holiday, including travel, shopping, parades, and more, so here are some of the interesting facts/stats we have come across:

  • New York was the first state to recognize Memorial Day in 1873
  • 62% of Americans plan to grill for the holiday weekend
  • 1.5 million Americans will watch the National Memorial Day Parade on TV
  • Over 1,000 active duty service members participate in the parade, as well as 30-35 different high school marching bands
  • There are 900,000 people expected to participate/watch Rolling Thunder, which is the annual Memorial Day motorcycle rally in Washington DC
  • 39% of Americans plan to travel this weekend, with 89% of them driving to their destination (2.6 million will travel by plane)
  • Orlando, Florida is the most popular Memorial Day travel destination
  • Only 14% of Americans are likely to take advantage of Memorial Day sales/promotions
  • $139.2 million is the estimated value of items that people will lose this weekend

See more of the stats/facts HERE.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and stay safe out there!

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