Memorial Day is a holiday meant to commemorate fallen soldiers that happens annually on the last Monday in May. Many enjoy the holiday because it gives an extra day off from work or school, however some do not realize what the true meaning is behind the holiday. There are some rich traditions that occur on this day to remember those you have fallen in war. Some traditions include the National Moment of Remembrance, decorations of gravesites and poppie flowers.
Memorial Day is a holiday meant to mourn and honor military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed forces. This is a time of remembrance, often involving visits to cemeteries and the decoration of graves with American flags, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. While the holiday originally honored the dead soldiers of the Civil War, it expanded after World War I to commemorate American service members who died in all U.S. wars. Memorial Day differs from Veterans Day because the latter honors all who have served in the military, whereas the former honors those who have died in service.
The history of memorial day began after the Civil War, when communities began holding informal springtime tributes — decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags. A notable early commemoration was held on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina by the freed slaves honoring the Union troops; however, Waterloo, New York is widely considered the birthplace as it held a community-wide business closing event on May 5, 1866. The city of Charleston is often overlooked because the event was organized by newly freed black Americans. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, which was established on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan to honor Union soldiers who had died in the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers. The national Decoration Day was to be observed annually on May 30 where many flowers were placed on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C., featuring a speech by president James Garfield. Memorial Day was originally designated a federal holiday in 1971 and soon evolved to honor all American military personnel who died in war.
There are numerous traditions people participate in on Memorial Day to mourn and honor the fallen soldiers. The National Moment of Remembrance happens on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. local time, where there is a moment of silence to remember those who have passed. The poppies often associated with the holiday symbolize remembrance, sacrifice and the hope for peace. The flowers are handed out to show that people are grieving for the fallen soldiers where many people choose to put the poppies in their car. As a final tradition, people go to Arlington National Cemetery to decorate the fallen soldiers’ gravesites with flowers and American flags to show their appreciation for them. All of these traditions are used to mourn for the fallen soldiers and celebrate their service.
Memorial Day is a holiday that many celebrate to remember fallen soldiers in any war. People often confuse this holiday with Veterans Day, but Memorial Day is entirely different remembering those who have fallen. People should understand that this day is not only about the day off from school or work but is commemorating our fallen soldiers who have fought in battles.
