A New Appreciation of a Time-Honored Celebration

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that when I think of Memorial Day, the first things that spring
to mind are three-day weekends, backyard barbeques and great shopping deals. How modern
American of me!

To make me feel more connected to the holiday (and less connected to those hamburgers on the
grill and the deep discounts at the mall), I decided to learn a bit about the history of Memorial
Day.

YourDictionary.com describes Memorial Day as one day each year that is set aside to remember
those who died in the line of service to our county…in an effort to protect us and our freedoms.

Here’s an excerpt from YourDictionary.com that nicely describes how this holiday got its start.

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History of Memorial Day
The first occurrence of the observation of Memorial Day was in 1886 in the state of New York.
In particular, the birthplace of Memorial Day was in the town of Waterloo, NY, which celebrated
it on May 5. 1866. This was just following the Civil War and the day was meant to honor
and remember those who died in the war. In the next few years, the rest of the northern states
followed suit and recognized the holiday of Memorial Day. The southern states didn’t follow the
northern example until just after World War I.

Started as Decoration Day
The holiday didn’t originally begin as Memorial Day but as Decoration Day. The first
observance of Decoration Day occurred at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868. The
first observance service in Arlington National Cemetery was a procession through the graves
that involved placing flowers and American Flags on each grave to remember the soldiers lost.
This service also was accompanied by the singing of hymns and songs. Some communities still
observe the holiday in this way.

Modern Memorial Day Celebrations
The official recognition of Waterloo as the birthplace of Memorial Day was made by President
Lyndon Johnson on May 26, 1966. In 1967, Congress officially changed the name of the holiday
from Decoration Day to Memorial Day. When the change was made, Congress scheduled
Memorial Day for the last Monday of the month of May each year.

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People used to visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in
military service. But over the past century, Memorial Day has become an occasion for more
general expressions of memory, as people visit the graves of loved ones, whether they served in
the military or not. For many, the Memorial Day weekend has broadened even more and become
a time to celebrate the beginning of summer.

However you choose to celebrate Memorial Day this year—whether it’s remembering lives lost
or cherishing family and friends with you today—we hope you do it with love in your heart.

Warmly,

Lilo