A Brief History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day was proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan and was originally called “Decoration Day.” The first official Memorial Day observance took place on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery, where the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers who had fought and died in the Civil War were decorated with flowers.
Many local tributes to lost servicemen were held prior to the official holiday declaration. Some of the cities that held ceremonies to decorate graves and lay claim as the birthplace of Memorial Day include: President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Waterloo, New York the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966. Memorial Day was recognized by most of the northern states by 1890. The southern states held their own Confederate Memorial Day observances on different days throughout the year, and did not recognize Memorial Day until World War I. At this point, the holiday was redefined to honor American soldiers who were killed or missing in any war, not just the Civil War. Wearing red poppies is a Memorial Day tradition. It started with a poem “Flanders Field” by John McCrae. In 1918. Moina Michael wrote a poem in reply. She began wearing a red poppy in remembrance and sold them to others to benefit survivors. In 1971, Congress changed the official date for Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May in order to create a long holiday weekend. At this point, the name was changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day. Today, Memorial Day is not only observed as a tribute to servicemen but is also a celebration of the summer season. Since it takes place when the weather is getting warm, Memorial Day is often considered the unofficial start of summer. Most people have parties or barbecues, travel to the beach or visit with friends. It’s often the day when the grill is fired up and the beach house opened. It’s also a gift giving opportunity, a time to present holiday hosts with food and small gifts that fit their hobbies and lifestyle. It’s also a good time to pay tribute to current and past soldiers with simple gifts like flowers, gift baskets, fruit baskets or other small gifts or commemorative items. Memorial Day parades and ceremonies are held in cities and towns throughout the United States . The largest is the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC . For more details on the history of Memorial Day, visit:
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