It’s officially Memorial Day, folks. And while the holiday is a great time to indulge in BBQ, patio drinking and poolside lounging, it’s also a time to reflect and commemorate those who have fought and risked their lives for our country. In honor of Memorial Day, we’ve rounded up 5 facts you may not have known about the holiday. Or if you did, here’s a little refresher.

Memorial Day was first called Decoration Day

You may not realize it but the holiday we all call Memorial Day was once known as Decoration Day. According to Yahoo News, “people decorated the graves of fallen soldiers” with flowers, wreaths, flags and other decor. Mentalfloss.com reports that “Memorial Day” wasn’t the official name of the holiday until 1967.

Memorial Day travel

More than 36 million people throughout the U.S. will travel to a vacation destination this Memorial Day weekend, according to the American Automobile Association. Yahoo News also reports that the day is now the “second-most popular holiday for a sun-baked barbecue.”

Waterloo is the birthplace of Memorial Day

Time reports that “in 1966 Congress unanimously passed a resolution to officially recognize Waterloo, NY as the birthplace of the holiday.” But apparently, it’s debatable. The town of Boalsburg, PA also claims the title of “Birthplace of Memorial Day,” according to Time.

The first Memorial Day speech

Ohio Congressman James A. Garfield gave the first Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. Mentalfloss.com reports that 5000 people attended the event. In his speech, Garfield stated:

“If silence is ever golden, it must be beside the graves of fifteen-thousand men, whose lives were more significant than speech, and whose death was a poem the music of which can never be sung.”ť

Memorial Day flag customs

In case you didn’t know, it’s tradition to fly the American flag “at half staff until noon, then raise it to the top of the staff until sunset” on Memorial Day, reports Mentalfloss.com.