Memorial Day 2017
Iwona Kosmaczewska (L) and Pvt. 2 Wesley Defee (R), members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, place flags at the headstones of military personnel buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in preparation for Memorial Day in Arlington, Virginia, May 25, 2017. Getty Images/Win McNamee

Memorial Day 2017 is barely 48 hours away, a day when people will take a break from their fast-paced life and remember those who sacrificed their lives to ensure that the citizens of the country can breathe free, and live their lives without fear.

There are no set ways to celebrate Memorial Day. People choose to relax at home, reconnecting with their family or simply go on a shopping spree with friends.

A spirit of holiday permeates the air, as most of the services, barring some, are shut down for the day. It has been observed that while government-controlled services such as banks, post offices and courts remain closed on the day, commercial or local services such as liquor stores and malls are open and on occasions even extending past their normal working hours.

Read: Netflix Movies 2017: 11 Patriotic Films To Watch On Memorial Day

The following is a list of services which will either be open or closed on the occasion of Memorial Day:

Services which are closed on Memorial Day:

  • Financial institutions such as Bank of America, Bank of the West, BBVA Compass Bank, BB&TBMO Harris Bank, Capital One Bank, Chase Bank, Citibank and so on, on Memorial Day, you will be closed.
  • Although school-going children might not understand the significance of Memorial Day, they remember it as the day they get a break from attending school (and if they are lucky, studying) as all institutions of education like schools, colleges, universities and libraries are closed on the day, Cleveland reported.
  • People hooked on to checking profit and loss at every waking moment can also take a much-needed break as The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are both closed on the day, USA Today reported.
  • If you are planning to send an important package via mail, you might want to do it the day before May 29, because UPS, FedEx and the United States Postal Service do not pick up or deliver on the day.
  • Lawsuits and verdicts also get delayed for 24 hours as courts remain closed too.
  • Most trash and city hall services remain closed, even though it is best to check with some city official to make sure that your city does not have an exception to that rule.
Memorial Day
A soldier in the Old Guard places flags at graves in Arlington National Cemetery during 'Flags In' in preparation for Memorial Day in Arlington, Virginia, May 25, 2017. Getty Images/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI

Services which are open on Memorial Day:

  • Despite the fact that local bank outlets will not open their doors on Memorial Day, people will still be able to engage in online banking and withdraw cash from outdoor ATM outlets as they will remain open on that day, Go Banking Rates reported.
  • State parks and national historic sites remain open since they draw in a lot of families who may take the opportunity to educate their children about the rich history of the country, including the brave soldiers who risk their lives every day to make the nation safer.
  • Malls and restaurants are open, although most of them run on different time schedules on the day.
  • Liquor stores are traditionally open on the day, although the same rule of an alternate time of operation applies for some of the outlets.
  • Stores such as Babies R Us, Best Buy, Macy’s, Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and so on are also open for business on the day, Mass Live reported.
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