Memorial day is regarded as a holiday or unofficial start of summer in the United States. But there is much more to it than that. Here we have explained the history of Memorial Day along with many more facts. Let’s start!

Memorial Day 2021

Memorial Day 2021 is to be celebrated on 31st May 2021. Also known as Decoration Day, this is held for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

From 1868 to 1970, this day was observed on May 30. And, from 1971, Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. Many people gather at the cemeteries, participate in parades & place an American flag on graves of military personnel.

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History of Memorial Day

General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, has decided to celebrate the deceased soldiers. On 5th May 1868, he declared that the celebration would be held on 30th May 1868, calling it Decoration Day.

As declared, the first Decoration Day was held on 30th May at Arlington National Cemetery. Over 5,000 people gathered & decorated the graves of the 20,000 Civil War soldiers who have died while serving the country.

Gradually, this day became Memorial Day. After World War I, Memorial Day was expanded to honor the military veterans who sacrificed their lives in the American war. And in 1971, the government has declared this day as a national holiday.

Since then, Memorial Day is an official federal holiday, and instead of May 30, it was held on the last Monday in May from 1971. President Lyndon B. Johnson took this decision, and he stated, “This will enable families who live some distance apart to spend more time together.”

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Memorial Day Traditions

On Memorial Day, people gather at one place with their family members and participate in these events, followed for many years as Memorial Day Traditions. As a part of the tradition, these events take place on Memorial Day:

Memorial Day poppies: Inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, Americans started wearing the poppies pinned to their shirts as a symbol of respect & remembrance on Memorial Day.
National Moment of Remembrance: In December of 2000, President Bill Clinton signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” which ensures that fallen heroes are never forgotten. Every year on Memorial Day, sharp at 3:00 PM local time, Americans pause whatever they are doing and take a national moment of remembrance, i.e., a minute of silence for fallen soldiers.
Parades: Every year, military personnel and members of veteran organizations participate in the Memorial Day Parades across the United States cities. Some of the largest parades are hosted at Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Hang your flag at half staff:As per federal guidelines, the flag should be displayed at half-staff only until noon and then go up to full-staff until sundown.
Playing ‘Taps’:Initially, Taps was used as a signal of the end of the day. And then it was used at funerals instead of firing the rifles. Further, it was included in Memorial Day traditions. When ‘Taps’ are played, few civilians place their right hand over their heart until the last note.
Visit a local veterans cemetery:Americans visit the local veteran cemeteries & memorials and place the flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.

That is all about Memorial Day. We hope it was informative & Stay tuned for more updates like this!

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