Mississippi

MS celebrates Jefferson Davis’ birthday, Memorial Day as state holiday. What to know

Published

7 months ago

May 21, 2025

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MS celebrates Jefferson Davis’ birthday, Memorial Day as state holiday. What to know

Mississippi observes Jefferson Davis’ birthday, combined with Memorial Day, as a state holiday.
This combined holiday is one of three Confederate holidays observed in Mississippi.
While other states have holidays honoring Davis, Mississippi is the only one to combine it with Memorial Day.
There have been unsuccessful attempts to remove Confederate holidays from the Mississippi state calendar.

Mississippi will honor Confederate President Jefferson Davis this three-day weekend.

The state isn’t the only one to honor him with a state holiday or local celebration, but it is the only one to combine it with Memorial Day.

It’s the third of three Confederate holidays on the state calendar, starting with a celebration of Robert E. Lee and Martin Luther King Jr. in February and Confederate Memorial Day in April.

Here’s what you need to know about when and why Mississippi celebrates Confederate holidays and what other states still honor them.

Why does Mississippi celebrate Jefferson Davis?

Davis was born in Kentucky on June 3, 1808, but Mississippi pairs it with Memorial Day on the last Monday in May. The president of the Confederacy spent most of his life in the Magnolia State and served it in both houses of the U.S. Congress.

The Davis family moved to the Mississippi Territory in 1812. In 1824, he graduated from West Point, the U.S. Military Academy and served in the U.S. Army, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Davis settled near family near Vicksburg, planted cotton and owned slaves in Warren County.

In 1845, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and resigned in less than a year to fight with the Mississippi Rifles in the Mexican War. In 1847, he was wounded and later was appointed to fill a seat in the U.S. Senate.

In 1851, he resigned to run for governor of Mississippi but did not win. He campaigned for Franklin Pierce and served as the president’s secretary of war.

He was re-elected to the Senate in 1857.

He resigned and announced Mississippi was seceding from the Union four years later.

By October of 1861, he was president of the Confederate States of America.

After Lee surrendered, Davis and his family ran but were later captured. He was held on treason charges for two years. The federal government dropped charges against him in 1869.

By 1877, he moved to Beauvoir in Biloxi and died in New Orleans in 1889.

The Biloxi building now serves as a presidential library. It’s open daily and offers tours. The organization that maintains it will celebrate his 217th birthday on Saturday, May 31, with a showing of Shirley Temple’s “The Littlest Rebel” and a Mississippi Rifles Honor Salute. Admission is $15 per person, and movie tickets cost another $2.

Alabama also has a state holiday for Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the first Monday in June. In Florida, it’s a local observance, according to timeanddate.com, but not an official state holiday that offices and schools or businesses would close for.

Does anyone want Mississippi to drop Confederate holidays from the state calendar?

Yes. There were multiple bills to remove Lee’s birthday and Confederate Memorial Day from the state calendar in the most recent regular session of the Mississippi Legislature.

None were successful.

Mississippi still honors Robert E. Lee on MLK Day

Two U.S. states honor Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the federal holiday for Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is always scheduled to take place on the third Monday in January. President Ronald Regan signed the bill creating the holiday into federal law in 1983. It was first observed in 1986.

King was born on Jan. 15, 1929.

When the federal holiday was adopted in the 1980s, Mississippi and Alabama lawmakers opted to add it to an existing holiday honoring Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Many states in the South initially adopted this approach. Most, including Lee’s home state of Virginia, have since dropped celebrating Lee, who was born on Jan. 19, 1807.

Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day

Mississippi celebrated Confederate Memorial Day on Monday, April 28 this year. Only four states still honor the Civil War dead with a day off for public workers, though others still treat it as a holiday.

The Magnolia State takes it a step further and celebrates April as Confederate Heritage Month.

Confederate Memorial Day was created in Georgia on April 26, 1866. It honored the deaths of Confederate soldiers on the first anniversary of the day that Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Union Gen. William Sherman at Bennett Place, North Carolina.

Many in the Confederacy felt that negotiation marked the end of the Civil War. Lee had surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant two weeks earlier at Appomattox Court House, but Johnston stayed in the field with almost 90,000 soldiers.

The holiday spread to the other Confederate states. Some changed their celebration dates to something more locally significant.

In Alabama and Florida, it’s on the fourth Monday in April. Alabama treats it as an official holiday.

Texas celebrates it as a state holiday on Jan. 19.

North and South Carolina celebrate on May 10, but state offices close only in South Carolina.

June 3 is when Kentucky and Tennessee honor the dead from the Civil War, and Tennessee calls it Confederate Decoration Day.

Does Mississippi celebrate Juneteenth as a state holiday?

No. Mississippi does not honor Juneteenth, though it is a federal holiday.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday that honors June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas were set free. The order for the state came about two and a half years after the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

Civil War reenactors teach living history in Mississippi

When are Mississippi state holidays in 2025?

Many state holidays in Mississippi sync up with federal holidays, but not all of them, according to the list from the Department of Finance and Administration.

Wednesday, Jan. 1: New Year’s Day.
Monday, Jan. 20: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee.
Monday, Feb. 17: Washington’s Birthday.
Monday, April 28: Confederate Memorial Day.
Monday, May 26: National Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis’ birthday.
Friday, July 4: Independence Day.
Monday, Sept. 1: Labor Day.
Tuesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day or Armistice Day.
Thursday, Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day.
Thursday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day.

2025 US federal holiday schedule

Here are the federal holidays in 2025, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management:

Wednesday, Jan. 1: New Year’s Day.
Monday, Jan. 20: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and Inauguration Day.
Monday, Feb. 17: Washington’s Birthday.
Monday, May 26: Memorial Day.
Thursday, June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day.
Friday, July 4: Independence Day.
Monday, Sept. 1: Labor Day.
Monday, Oct. 13: Columbus Day.
Tuesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day.
Thursday, Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day.
Thursday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day.

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Dec. 18, 2025

Published

36 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Dec. 18, 2025

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 18, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

01-06-18-19-35

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Midday: 1-9-0, FB: 3

Evening: 3-8-2, FB: 7

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Midday: 0-3-9-4, FB: 3

Evening: 7-2-8-2, FB: 7

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Midday: 02

Evening: 10

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Dec. 17, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 17, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

05-14-24-31-33

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

Midday: 0-3-8, FB: 8

Evening: 6-8-3, FB: 7

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

Midday: 3-5-3-0, FB: 8

Evening: 8-0-9-4, FB: 7

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

Midday: 02

Evening: 05

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Mississippi

Esquire names Mississippi seafood place among Top 33 best new restaurants

Published

2 days ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Esquire names Mississippi seafood place among Top 33 best new restaurants

A Mississippi restaurant has made a short list of the hottest new restaurants in America for 2025. Esquire named the 33 best new places to eat.

“… This has been the Year of the Good Time,” writer Joshua David Stein noted. “A good time not in an ‘ostrich in the sand’ way or in a ‘decline and fall of the Roman Empire’ mode. A good time founded on the recognition that good times — with friends around a table, breaking bread — are more important than ever in chaotic, topsy-turvy years like these.”

The national list includes places that meet what Esquire’s Food & Drinks Editor Jeff Hordinier calls “’the five C’s’ —we’re looking for a sweet spot of hospitality that incorporates comfort, creativity, cool, community, and (of course) excellent cooking.”

Which Mississippi seafood place did Esquire call one of the best new restaurants?

Siren Social Club in Gulfport made the Esquire list of the Top 33 new restaurants in the U.S. Chef Adam Sumrall and his wife and business partner Tresse Sumrall recently attended a party in New York City to celebrate the honor.

“The old building used to be a mortuary, but it’s got plenty of life in it now. Festooned with images of tropical flora and ruled by a statue of an orange enchantress who looks ready for the Life of a Showgirl world tour, Siren Social Club makes it clear from the outset that you are here to shake off the cobweb,” chef Amethyst Ganaway wrote for Esquire.

The Sumralls opened Siren on Halloween night in 2024. It’s in the same building a Hotel Vela, a boutique option in Gulf Coast hospitality. The pair also run White Pillars in Biloxi.

They excel at elevated dining experiences in fun, elegant settings. The Michelin guide also gave both Siren Social Club and White Pillars nods in its first American South’s 2025 Recommended Restaurants list.

“Siren Social Club dares to be different,” the guide notes.

Southern Living also named it one of the 20 new restaurants in the South earlier this year.

“Swanky and cool, it’s a fun spot for early birds and night owls alike,” wrote Senior Food Editor Josh Miller.

What’s on the Siren Social Club menu?

Chef Adam Sumrall brings Southern cooking paired with haute cuisine training. He’s a graduate of Ole Miss and the Culinary Institute of America, according to the Hotel Vela website. The McComb native won the King of American Seafood title at the 2021 Great American Seafood Cook-off in New Orleans. He’s a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for best chef in the South who’s been featured on several cooking shows. Sumrall won Food Network’s “Alex vs America.”

“Their admirably robust menu indulges coastal cravings via seasonal oysters and Gulf shrimp while appeasing land lovers with steakhouse favorites and handmade pastas,” Miller wrote.

Esquire highlighted the “luxe party food,” particularly crispy chicken with hot honey, thousand-layer potatoes, beef Wellington and a shrimp cocktail that comes with buttered crackers.

Current menu listings include a caviar service, beef tartare and pork chop paillard.