Memorial Day History
What is Memorial Day?
In the US the last Monday in May marks the official holiday of Memorial Day where Americans nationwide honor fallen fallen soldiers who died while serving in the armed forces with parades, commemorative services, and of course barbecues.
When did it begin?
Officially it was declared a national holiday in 1971 but has roots after the Civil War where both the Union and the Confederacy families and survivors needed a way to mourn their fallen. It was named "Declaration Day" on May 30, 1868. There are 25 different cities that claim it started there at earlier dates but the choice of this date probably coincided with more flowers being in bloom to decorate graves. Some historians have debated some form of this holiday dates back to ancient Roman and Greek traditions where the public was allowed to mourn after battles and lay flowers and sing songs for the fallen.
How is it celebrated today?
Today its sadly turned into the end of school, the start of summer, a 3-day weekend, and sales. The original intent was to observe the solemn sacrifice of fallen soldiers and pay respects but as we are losing more of the WWII veterans the holiday seems to be losing that focus and more into the leisure of summer.
I have fond memories placing flags along the headstones of soldiers in my youth and I think this year I'm going to attend a service and pay respects.
How are you going to observe Memorial Day this weekend?
Comment below if you want to share or have a memory of your own you'd like to tell.
ever watch Gone with the Wind, at the the war is lost, while Scarlett is stuck married to Fank Kennedy, those snotty old ladies come by and demand that she help them to " beautify the graves of our glorious dead" on the last weekend of May, the first really steamy one of the season that year...and oh, how she hates all this mourning of the Lost Cause and crying over boys lost in battle, and the waste of war...Read the book...it a great antiwar book!
I watched the movie but its been a while so that is a bit foggy. I just wrote this post to inform people who may not know much about the US holiday and in my way remember the fallen.
My awful day job is at Dollar General, a discount department/grocery store. At Easter, we got a gazillion artificial flower wreathes and actually had a hard time finding room in the store to keep them all. Now, they're practically sold out, especially all the red white and blue ones. With every sale, I hear Ms. Jane Darwell playing Mrs Merriweather and her distinctively snooty voice voice saying to "honor the graves of our glorious dead"...Anyway That graveyard decorating on that particular weekend really was started by the Lady's Auxiliary in Atlanta in 1868, in recognition of that particularly brutal battle, the fall of Atlanta and Sherman's march to the sea. I like it when fictiongrabs history by the hand and lights of the page with truth.
Yes its strange how they can blur lines. I remember reading a history book years ago that went into all the unsung citizen heroes that are never mentioned such as Paul Revere. To make his historic ride he needed a dozen people from the boys that were awoken to get his horse ready at every stop to the blacksmith who kept the horses ready to run at a moments notice.
indeed...the novel I'm writing revolves around a antebellum stage coach stop here in central Appalachia. I used to live in the big house of this forgotten business. The frame of the story is a multi-generational ghost story. Enjoy your memorial weekend. It's about more than public pools opening up for the season!!!! I'll be writing and painting with force on my day off!!!!
Memorial Day is a Very Special Day for me. I was on my first deployment in Iraq 2005. I saw some things I wish not to discuss here. I am Happy others can enjoy this day with their BBQ's and Parties. I will be at work remembering that day back in 2005 as well as remembering all the Great Men and Women who sacrificed with the ultimate price, their lives for this country...
Thank you for your service @missiontothemoon
Thank You for the Great Post @natevegas
I have very split feeling on the fallen men and woman I truly feel for the loss and there familys loss and have many family members who have served ... But all wars are bank wars. I think Einstein said it best ..
He who joyfully marches to music rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilisation should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.
Albert Einstein
Thanks for commenting although I don't think the world would have known who Einstein was had he not escaped Europe when he did.
True ...And I truly do respect the men and woman who lost there lives and stood up in the thick of things when there was no choice and our politicians had gotten us in to deep .. The best honor we could give these fine people would be end all wars .. And the tools and thinking used to start them..