HOUSTON (KIAH) — You may often hear that Veterans Day and Memorial Day get confused, but they really honor two different things. Even though Veterans are celebrated for their service every day, Veterans Day is the day to celebrate and honor all veterans. However, Memorial Day is specifically for our fallen soldiers who fought and died for this country.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Memorial Day is observed by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to take a moment of silence at 3 p.m. The holiday came about during the American Civil War that killed more than 600,000 service members in both the Union and Confederate between 1861 and 1865.

How did this turn into a day off and leisure? Since the 19th century, grave ceremonies were followed by picnicking and foot races according to Frederick Douglass.