Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. This originates from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags from those lost during the Civil War.
On 5 May 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance in the month of May. “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 General Logan called it, was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle.
During that first national Decoration Day celebration, former Union General and Ohio Congressman James Garfield (also our 20th president, I might add) made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery where 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there. (On a side note. Our Kendall 8th grade students went to Washington, D.C. this month. One of their stops was to Arlington Cemetery. A quote was " I can't believe how may grave stones there are!"" Wow. It's so beautiful."). The decorating of Arlington Cemetery is still a tradition today, with also putting a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier by the president or vice president of the U.S.
The first Decoration Day event was inspiring. Local observances took place in several towns and cities throughout America in the three years after the Civil War. Its not exactly known where but in 1866, the federal government declared Waterloo, NY as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo was chosen because on 5 May 1866 it hosted an annual community wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags. By 1890, northern states observed Decoration Day and declared it as an official state holiday. Many southern states, however, continued to honor their war heroes on separate days. It wasn't until after World War I where Memorial Day became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars. In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be celebrated on the last Monday of May. It created a federal three day holiday that kicks off the summer season.
Here are some ways to commemorate this Memorial Day.
1. Traditional observance states on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day. The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in service to their country. At noon, their memory is raised by the living, who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.
2. Put flags or flowers on the graves of men and women who served in wars.
3. Visit monuments dedicated to soldiers, sailors and marines.
4. March in a parade. There will be a march to the Morton Union Cemetery at 7pm. It will start from Curtis Memorial Soccer Field on Countyline Road in Morton.
5. Encourage others and participate to pause in a moment of silence for one minute in a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time. Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place.
6. Wear or plant some red Poppies. The practice of wearing poppies takes its origin from the poem "In Flanders Fields" , written in 1915 by John McCrae.
*Always remember that Memorial Day is a day for remembering the men and women who died while serving our country. Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, especially the living!*
Take a walk into town hall. I have Memorial Day displays up.
Pause to remember.....
The Missing Man Table
