In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May. Businesses increasingly have chosen to stay open,

To keep mosquitoes away, outdoor writer Kat Gillespie recommends Thermacell in her best bug repellers roundup. This one creates a 15-foot protective field — no smoke or flames required — that keeps bugs away for about four hours.

Nearly 15 Massachusetts beaches were closed for swimming ahead of Memorial Day due to dangerously high bacteria levels or cyanobacteria blooms, according to the state’s beach closure dashboard.