On Monday, in observance of Memorial Day, the Illinois REALTORS® offices in Springfield will be closed. The offices will reopen with regular hours on Tuesday.

History

Did you know the seeds of this holiday were planted in 1868 with the creation of Decoration Day? According to infoplease.com, Decoration Day was designed to honor soldiers who died during the Civil War by decorating their graves.

About 20 years later, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day and dedicated to the memory of all who died in war.

In 1971, Memorial Day became a federal holiday. It is now observed on the last Monday in May.