Memorial Day is an American holiday dedicated to remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States military. It is observed on the last Monday of May, which falls on May 29 in 2023. Memorial Day has a long and rich history dating back to the Civil War when towns around the country began to pay honour to dead troops by decorating their graves with flowers and flags. Memorial Day evolved into a national holiday that honours all Americans who gave their lives in any fight for their country.
The Origins of Memorial Day
The Civil War, which concluded in the spring of 1865, took more lives than any other conflict in American history and necessitated the building of the country’s first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s, Americans in numerous towns and cities were paying springtime memorials to these innumerable fallen soldiers, adorning their graves with flowers and praying.
It is uncertain when this custom began; memorial meetings may have begun separately in a variety of communities. One of the earliest Memorial Day commemorations was established by a group of formerly enslaved individuals in Charleston, South Carolina, less than a month after the Confederacy fell in 1865, according to some archives.
Nonetheless, the federal government designated Waterloo, New York, as the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966. Waterloo, which initially observed the day on May 5, 1866, was chosen because it conducted an annual, community-wide event in which businesses closed and residents decorated soldiers’ graves with flowers and flags.
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of a Northern Civil War veterans’ organization, proposed a nationwide day of memorial later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating, the graves of comrades who died in defence of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he declared. Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen since it did not commemorate any one battle.
General James Garfield delivered a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on the first Decoration Day, and 5,000 people decorated the graves of the 20,000 Civil War veterans buried there2. Many Northern states had similar commemorative activities and continued the custom in succeeding years; by 1890, every state had declared Decoration Day to be an official state holiday. However, until after World War I2, southern states continued to honour their deceased on distinct days.
The Evolution of Memorial Day
The purpose and scope of Decoration Day were altered by World War I. The war, which lasted from 1914 to 1918 and encompassed over 100 countries, killed over 16 million people globally. Over four million Americans participated in the war, and over 116,000 were killed. Tanks, aeroplanes, submarines, and chemical weapons were also used for the first time during the war. The extraordinary scope and misery of World War I made Americans understand that Decoration Day should memorialize all soldiers who died fighting in any war, not just those who perished in the Civil War.
President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 as Armistice Day in 1919 to commemorate the end of World War I and to honour its veterans. Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day by Congress in 1954 to honour all U.S. veterans. Veterans Day differs from Memorial Day in that it celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, whereas Memorial Day honours those who died while serving.
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act, approved by Congress in 1971, relocated four holidays from their customary dates to a specific Monday in order to establish a convenient three-day weekend. Washington’s Birthday (now Presidents’ Day), Columbus Day (now Indigenous Peoples’ Day), Veterans Day (later shifted back to November 11), and Memorial Day (previously May 30) were among the holidays. The modification went into effect for federal employees in 1971, but it took years for all states to embrace it. The same statute established Memorial Day as a federal holiday.
Memorial Day Traditions and Rituals
Memorial Day has evolved into a solemn and patriotic occasion with numerous traditions and rituals. Some examples are:
- Visiting cemeteries or memorials and depositing flags or flowers on the graves of deceased service members.
- Flying the United States flag at half-staff from sunrise to noon local time.
- Participating in or viewing parades with marching bands, veterans’ organizations, and military vehicles.
- Wearing or displaying red poppies in commemoration of those who died in battle. The custom was inspired by John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields,” which he wrote during World War I after seeing his friend’s death on a battlefield blanketed with poppies.
- Observing a national moment of reflection on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. local time. No Greater Love, a humanitarian organization that remembers those who died or were disabled while serving their country, offered this notion.
- Congress approved a resolution in December 2000 encouraging Americans to halt for one minute at this moment “in an act of national unity.”. Organizing family reunions or picnics to mark the unofficial start of the summer season.
- Shopping for deals and discounts offered by merchants during Memorial Day weekend sales4. The Meaning and Importance of Memorial Day.
Memorial Day is much more than a day off from work or school. It is a day set aside to remember and respect those who gave their all for their country and its principles. It is a day to thank them for their service and bravery. It’s a day to ponder what it means to be an American and what we owe to those who fought for our liberty.
Memorial Day serves as a reminder that freedom does not come cheap; it comes at a heavy cost that we should never take for granted. It also reminds us of our obligation to defend the values and principles for which our dead heroes fought: democracy, liberty, justice, equality, human rights, and peace. It also reminds us that we have a responsibility to help those who are currently serving or have previously served in the military, as well as their families, who carry the burden of war.
Memorial Day is about more than just remembering the dead; it is also about commemorating their lives and legacies. It is about respecting their memories by following in their footsteps. It is about carrying on their objective by working to make the world a better place. It is about being proud of our country and its history while also being cognizant of its flaws and challenges. It is about being thankful for our blessings while also being compassionate toward others who suffer or struggle. It is about being patriotic while also respecting other nations and cultures.
Memorial Day is a day that brings all Americans together, regardless of differences or backgrounds. It is a day that motivates us to be better citizens, neighbours, and human beings. It is a day that asks us, “What can we do to honour those who gave their lives for us?” What can we do to make them proud? What can we do to make a difference?