All El Paso County administrative offices, county affiliated agencies, El Paso County Combined Courts and the offices of the Fourth Judicial District Attorney will be closed Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day.
The Clerk and Recorder’s North Branch Motor Vehicle Office in the Union Town Center (Union and Research Parkway) will be open Saturday, May 25, during its regular Saturday hours, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is the only County motor vehicle office in Colorado with regularly scheduled Saturday service.
Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It originated after the Civil War as “Decoration Day.” The original intent was to put decorations, typically flowers, on the graves of those who were killed in military service and “Decoration Day” was chosen as a name because it didn’t memorialize any particular battle or war.
By the time the National Holiday Act of 1971 was adopted by Congress, observers had expanded the original intent of Decoration Day by adding flowers to graves all family and friends and it was commonly being called “Memorial Day.”
The National Holiday Act of 1971 designated the last Monday in May for the official observance of Memorial Day.