Less than half of Americans know the true meaning behind Memorial Day, according to a new survey.
The survey of 2,000 Americans revealed just 43% were aware it’s a holiday honoring those who died in service while in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Twenty-eight percent mistakenly believed Memorial Day was a holiday honoring all military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces — which is actually Veterans Day.
It was revealed to be a common mistake: A third of respondents (36%) admitted to being unsure of the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of University of Phoenix, the survey tested Americans on their knowledge of the upcoming holiday, which, this year, falls on Monday, May 25.
That’s news to some respondents: The survey found less than half (46%) of respondents knew Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May.
The most common incorrect answer? A fifth (21%) believed Memorial Day falls on the last Sunday of May.
A 2019 survey by the university asked respondents some of the same questions and revealed a similar level of confusion. Last year, 55% correctly identified the purpose of Memorial Day, but a similar number (27%) confused Memorial Day with Veterans Day.
This year’s survey expanded on those findings — and revealed respondents were uninformed about more than just the meaning of the holiday.
When asked about the Moment of Remembrance, a moment wherein Americans are asked to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in U.S. military service, half of those polled hadn’t heard of it.
But a third of respondents (35%) were able to select the correct time for when it takes place — 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.
Half of the Americans polled had also not heard the term “Gold Star family” — which is a family who has lost a loved one in…
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