1. It was originally called Decoration Day and was intended to be a day to remember those who have died while serving their country.
2. Many towns and cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the town of Waterloo, NY to be the official birthplace of Memorial Day/Decoration Day.
3. The original idea may have actually gotten started by women’s clubs in the south who set aside a particular day for decorating the graves of their civil war soldiers. They honored both Union and Confederate graves.
4. An offical "holiday" was proclaimed by General John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic on May 5, 1868 to honor Union soldiers that had died in service.
5. The first "official" Memorial Day was May 30, 1868.
6. Originally Memorial Day was to be held each year on May 30th.
7. The National Holiday Act of 1971 moved the observance of Memorial Day to the last Monday in May.
8. Many feel that moving the observance to form a three day weekend has resulted in many Americans not knowing the true meaning for the day.
9. Moina Michael first introduced the idea of wearing red poppies (in 1915) on Memorial Day after being inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields by John Mc Crae. This tradition has now spread to many European countries.
10. Confederate states originally refused to honor May 30th as the official Memorial Day because it was set up to honor Union civil war dead. Confederate states didn’t join the official remembrance until after WWI when the holiday description was changed to honor all war dead.
11. Some southern states still have a separate date to remember Confederate civil war dead.
12. The National Moment of Rememberance was passed in 2000 to encourage Americans to return to the true meaning of Memorial Day. The Moment of Rememberance asks all Americans to pause and honor (in whatever way they see fit or by listening to Taps) those that have given their lives for our country. The "moment" is 3:oo p.m. local time on Memorial Day.
13. Each year legislation is introduced to try to move Memorial Day back to May 30th. Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii (a WWII veteran) has repeatedly introduced this legislation.
14. On the first official Decoration Day, 5000 people helped to decorate 20,000 graves of Confederate and Union soldiers at Arlington National Cemetary.
15. U.S. Flags are to be flown at half-staff from dawn until noon (local time) on Memorial Day.
thanks for such a concise history of memorial day. i read it out loud to the girls. i love your fresh perspective of our pacific northwest. it almost never fails to make me smile.
What a wonderful reminder! You know, I’m old enough to remember it being called “Decoration Day” and also to remember it being on May 30th. And my grandmother called the Civil War, the War Between the States. Thanks for the post.
Thanks you for reminding me of some of those items…I have to admit I did not know a few! On my blog I did a little tribute as well. This is all a good thing and I’m afraid #8 is the majority…with thoughts of beach openings, too much drinking, and other consumerism type things like furniture or car buying.
Thanks for posting this Kris. It put the perspective back where it should be, our fallen soldiers, rather than on just a day off from work!