What is Memorial All About - Surprising Facts About Memorial Day
My grandfather served for almost 40-years in the Navy, and because of that I have always had a special place in my heart for our Military. I am not going to make this about people being for or against war/guns etc. This is only about my grandpa being in the Navy so I have a special appreciation for anyone who also served. With that being said I read some interesting facts about Memorial day that you might find interesting also.
Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer.
My grandfather served for almost 40-years in the Navy, and because of that I have always had a special place in my heart for our Military. I am not going to make this about people being for or against war/guns etc. This is only about my grandpa being in the Navy so I have a special appreciation for anyone who also served. With that being said I read some interesting facts about Memorial day that you might find interesting also.
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day
After the end of the Civil War in 1865, the beginnings of Memorial Day lay in a celebration called Decoration Day, as community members, including those in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a Union Veterans organization, visited the graves of the fallen Union soldiers in their hometown and decorated them with flowers.The holiday was not official until 1968
Though many towns had their own Decoration Day celebrations, the holiday more officially emerged in 1868 when General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the GAR called on former soldiers and their communities to conduct ceremonies and decorate graves of their dead comrades. This is why many consider Logan to be the founder of Memorial Day. Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1968, with the passing of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act by Congress in June 1968, which went into effect in 1971.It wasn't always celebrated on the last Monday in May
General Logan called for Decoration Day to occur on May 30, since it was not the anniversary of any particular battle. With the passing of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968, Memorial Day was established a federal holiday on the last Monday of May, so it could be a three-day weekend. When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act, he noted that the three-day weekend would make it easier for Americans to travel, and better for industrial production and commercial activity, since there would be no midweek shut down.There is debate on where the “home” of Memorial Day is
President Johnson named Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966. Waterloo first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866. However, several other towns have also claimed to be the holiday's birthplace, including Charleson, South Carolina; Columbus, Georgia; and Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.A customary moment of silence takes place at 3:00 p.m.
Memorial Day is frequently commemorated with the gesture of American flags lowered to half-mast, accompanied by a moment of silence observed at 3:00 p.m., a time designated by The National Moment of Remembrance Act, passed in 2000.Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer.
