Memorial Day, formally known as Decoration Day, is celebrated on the last Monday of May to annually honor the veterans that died while serving our country. It originated after the Civil War ended when Americans decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. Memorial Day is now known as the beginning of the summer as many Americans celebrate by holding family gatherings, visiting cemeteries, and attending parades.
The Civil War ended in 1865 and claimed more lives than any U.S. conflict in history. The Civil War was also the beginning of the country’s national cemeteries. It is unclear where the Memorial traditions began because, during this time, there were numerous communities that held their own gatherings. Some records show that the earliest Memorial Day commemoration was organized by a family in Charleston, South Carolina less than a month after the confederacy surrendered. Afterwards, Waterloo became the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966. Waterloo was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, in which businesses closed for the day and citizens would place flowers and flags along the graves of the fallen soldiers.
The date of Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any specific battle. It became a national holiday in 1971, when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Each year, Memorial Day has been commemorated at Arlington Nation Cemetery in which a small American flag is placed at each grave. Traditionally, the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
Memorial Day falls on May 26 this year. Take time to thank our soldiers for their service and remember those that passed while serving our country. Happy Memorial Day!
May 26, 2024; Written by: Kaitlyn Keenan, McGregor Marketing and Communication Intern
