As Memorial Day approaches, many Alabamians are gearing up for a long holiday weekend, with plans to travel, turn to the waterways, shop for sales or gather with family and friends for a cookout.

What shouldn’t be forgotten amid the fun is the true meaning of the holiday: the one day of the year when Americans honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

For more than a century, according to a history of the holiday on History.com, Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day, an annual observance set aside to clean and decorate graves of war soldiers with flowers. In May 1868, Gen. John Logan, the commander in chief of the Union veterans’ group, issued a decree that May 30 should become a nationwide day of commemoration. According to legend, Logan chose that date because it was a rare day that didn’t fall on the anniversary of a war battle. Some historians believe the date was selected to ensure that flowers across the country would be in full bloom.

Although many cities want to claim ownership of the holiday, it wasn’t until 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971. In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed a law requiring all Americans to observe a moment of remembrance at exactly 3 p.m. local time each Memorial Day.

According to custom, flags should be flown on Memorial Day at half-mast until noon and then raised to full mast until sunset.

A number of Memorial Day events are taking place across Alabama and are open to the public.

Here are a few ways to honor those who have fallen:

Alabama Veterans Memorial Park

A private virtual ceremony has been planned at the park Memorial Day week. The date for the ceremony will be announced on the website. If you would like to visit the Alabama Fallen Veterans Memorial, it is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. For updates about the upcoming Memorial Day ceremony, call 205-305-6749. The park is at 100 Overton Access Road in Birmingham.

Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery

Spanish Fort will honor its fallen veterans on Memorial Day at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery. A World War II veteran, Third Army, 761st Tank Battalion Robert Curtis Andry will give the keynote address followed by a wreath-laying ceremony. The event is free, but seating is limited to 200 people. The complete schedule is here. To learn more, visit the website.

National Cemetery Administration

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is committed to observing Memorial Day in a manner that honors those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for this nation, while also protecting the health and safety of visitors and team members. There will be 142 Veterans Affairs national cemeteries open for visitation throughout the Memorial Day weekend. Families and friends are welcome to place flowers or individual flags at veterans’ graves. Cemetery staff will conduct a wreath-laying ceremony to officially commemorate Memorial Day. While the NCA cannot extend an invitation to the public to attend because of health and safety concerns, NCA has developed the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) for users to upload images and documents and to share military service timelines, achievements and biographical information. VLM users will also be able to “Follow a Veteran” to receive email alerts when new content is added to a veteran’s page. For virtual visits, go to va.gov/remember. Items contributed to profiles are reviewed for appropriateness prior to being posted. Future updates will be provided, as required, in response to changing conditions and public health guidance. NCA will share pictures of the event on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and social media.