On the last Monday in May , people in the United States celebrate Memorial Day . This federal holiday honors members of the American military who died in war . Schools and government offices close . Most people in the U.S . have this day off from work . People celebrate Memorial Day with parades , outdoor musical events as well as picnics and parties . Most Americans consider it the start of summer , although the season really begins in June . With so many people off work , Memorial Day has also become a popular shopping day . However , for many people Memorial Day is a serious , even sad , holiday . Those who have lost family members to war visit burial sites to decorate their graves . They place flowers , wreaths and U.S . flags on grave markers . Memorial Day comes from a tradition that began after the U.S . Civil War called Decoration Day . The Civil War was a very dark time in U.S . history . Historians have long thought that about 620,000 soldiers died in the fighting . However , new research suggests that the dead numbered closer to 750,000 . In 1868 , about 5,000 people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery on the edge of Washington , D.C . They decorated the more than 10,000 graves of Union and Confederate soldiers . They called it Decoration Day . The tradition spread to other areas of the country . In 1873 , New York State called it Memorial Day and was the first to make it a legal holiday . Other states followed . But not all . Some southern states had (and still have ) separate celebrations that honor only dead Confederate soldiers . In 1971 , Congress passed a law making it an official federal holiday . Along with Memorial Day , the Civil War is also the origin of a common and very useful word : deadline . Now , I have used this word probably thousands and thousands of times . But I honestly never thought about why "dead " and "line " came together to mean a time limit . It might sound very strange to an English learner : dead + line = time limit . But his trial was very controversial . According to a Report of the Secretary of War , dated October 31 , 1865 , Wirz established a ‘dead line ’ around the prison . By 1920 , the word "deadline " worked its way into the American news media industry . It means the time by which a writer must complete a story for publication . Now , we use the word “deadline ” everywhere . People shopping for a home might have a deadline for offering a bid on a house . Students have deadlines on their homework and reports . There are deadlines for paying taxes , applying for college and accepting membership to a club . When you are under a deadline you can feel pressure . This is especially true if it's a tight deadline . A tight deadline means there is not much time to get something done . Some people do not like tight deadlines . Those people might say they do not work well under deadlines . If you say you have a deadline hanging over their head , you are worrying about meeting your responsibility on time . Nobody likes anything hanging over their head ! Some people work very well under deadlines . They meet their deadlines with no problem . If you are this kind of person , you can call yourself deadline-driven . This means that you like deadlines and are successful at meeting them . Employers like to see this on a resume . Now , let's hear "deadline " used in a short dialogue . Hey , do you want to grab some lunch with me ? I would love to . But I can't . I'm on deadline for a big story . So , I'll eat something quick at my desk . My editor needs my story by 2 pm . Do you think you'll finish ? I have to ! I've never missed a deadline in my five years working here . I hate to say it , but I've missed a couple of my deadlines this month . I just don't like a deadline hanging over my head . I just want to get it done or it's all I think about . Well , I won't keep you from your deadline ! Call me when you're done . I'll buy you a cup of coffee . When I meet my deadline , I can relax and enjoy my Friday . And I like meeting my deadlines so they aren't hanging over my head . I'm Jonathan Evans … How do you say “deadline ” in your language ?