Stars Kick Off Summer With Memorial Day Fun in the Sun

The weather's heating up, and even celebrities need to take a day off every once in a while ... with many getting summer started earlier than the calendar indicates.

Tom Brady knew exactly how he wanted to spend his long weekend ... ripping off his shirt and ending up on a wakeboard, big grin on his face. Loving that ocean breeze through the hair, Tom!

Meanwhile, Sofia Vergara took a snap with her tiny dog ... and wished everyone a very happy holiday -- seemingly enjoying the day with a close pal of hers.

Lindsay Lohan, Kate Hudson and Cindy Crawford all posted beachy snaps too ... swimsuits on and ready to go for a cool dip -- an awesome way to spend the weekend.

Still, other celebs decided to focus on the holiday's true meaning -- a way to honor soldiers killed in battle. Matthew McConaughey posted a pic of himself at the University of Texas Longhorns football stadium with the message "respect and remember."

There's a ton of those posts like that out there too ... from stars like Melissa Joan Hart, Bette Midler, Blake Shelton and more -- another great way to celebrate the day FWIW.