10 things you might not know about Memorial Day

Ahh, Memorial Day, the official start of summer. It’s time to break out the grill, take advantage of the sales and maybe get a start on that summer tan.

Here’s some Memorial Day trivia while you’re waiting for those burgers to get done:

1. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, a day set aside to decorate the graves of our fallen Civil War soldiers with flowers, wreaths and flags.
2. Before it was considered that start-of-summer holiday weekend, Memorial Day was celebrated every May 30. It wasn't until the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 that the holiday was moved to the last Monday in May.
3. Nine states observe Confederate Memorial Day, honoring those who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
4. Red poppies are the Memorial Day flower.
5. Since 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day.
6. It's estimated that over 35 million Americans traveled more than 50 miles from home last Memorial Day weekend.
7. New York was the first state to officially recognize Memorial Day.
8. “Taps” is often played at ceremonies on Memorial Day.
9. The highest grossing movie that opened on Memorial Day thus far has been Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007). (Opening gross: $139,802,190)
10. Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day. (That's 818 hot dogs every second during that period!)

So, welcome in the summer.  Happy grilling, everyone!