Currently, 11 states still set an official day to honor In the aftermath of World War I, the holiday evolved to commemorate fallen military personnel in all wars. Meant to honor those lost in the Civil War, the southern states originally observed a different day to honor the Confederate soldiers who died. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I.ĥ. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. Logan who called for an official nationwide day of remembrance on May 30, 1868, a date chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of a particular battle. It gradually came to be known as Memorial Day over the years.Ĥ. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.īy the late 1860s, many Americans had begun hosting tributes to the wars fallen soldiers by decorating their graves and with flowers and flags. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. It originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. The observance was originally known as Decoration Day. An archway over the cemetery was engraved with the words “Martyrs of the Race Course”, according to The New York Times.ģ. Singing hymns and placing flowers on their graves. Colored Troops, and some locals organized a ceremony to bury Union troops who died due to horrendous conditions of a prison created at what was once a racetrack, reports. Not long after the Civil War ended, about 1,000 freed slaves, members of the U.S. One of the first Memorial Day celebrations in the United States was by newly freed slaves on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina. Greeks and Romans hosted similar commemorations.Ģ. This is thought to be the first communal ceremony of recognizing those who had given their life in war.
Way back in 431 B.C., soldiers killed in the Peloponnesian War were honored with a public funeral and speech given by Greek statesman Pericles, according to. Memorial Day celebrations might have started in ancient times. Of the summer season. Although you probably know the special day honors those who lost their lives serving in the U.S. military, you might be unaware of the origins behind the day of remembrance.
Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. The holiday, which is observed on the last Monday of May every year, Memorial Day 2019 occurs on Monday, May 27, 2019. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died What’s Memorial Day? It’s easy to forget, but Memorial Day weekend is much more than an extra day off work to spend hosting a backyard barbecue or taking a day trip with the family. Here’s 15 History Facts behind the Holidayīrush up on your Memorial Day knowledge with these interesting facts.
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