Memorial Day is a federal holiday that is now celebrated on the last Monday in May. It was first called Decoration Day when begun in 1865 by former African slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. It was created to honor the Union soldiers who fought during the Civil War.
In New York, it started being celebrated the next year and was promoted nationwide in 1868. The current official name was given in 1967 and in 1971 it became an official federal holiday. This was when the day was altered from the original date of May 30th to the current one of the last Monday in the month of May.
Since the time of World War I, the holiday has been used for honoring all Americans who passed away during wartime, rather than only Civil War soldiers. These days, the holiday is used to remember all loved ones who have died, not only military personnel. A lot of people go to visit graves on this day, for example.
In honor of the soldiers who have died in military service, many communities have parades and fireworks to celebrate the day. There is a national moment of remembrance that is supposed to take place at 3 in the afternoon, local time. The U. S. flag is also flown at half-staff until mid-day. A national memorial concert also takes place on the lawn of the Capitol.
Despite these traditions, rather than a day of remembrance, Memorial Day is now thought of by many more as the beginning of the summer season. Some feel this is, at least in part, due to the changing of the traditional date. The long weekend now signifies the beginning of trips to the beach and barbecues. Many shopping sales also take place that weekend. And, since 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has been held on the Sunday before.
For many, the school year is ending at this time. Those people who live in colder states welcome the warmer weather when they can enjoy the outdoors, possibly even going for a swim. With all this to look forward to, Memorial Day is a national holiday that is beloved, even if not necessarily for the reasons it was created.
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