Memorial Day in the United States honors military personnel who died in the service of their country. More specifically, it honors those who died in battle or as a result of wounds they sustained during battle. Below are 5 facts in regards to the Memorial Day.
Civil War
By the time the Civil War ended in the spring of 1865, it claimed 620,000 soldiers’ lives, the most of any conflict in American history. General John Logan, came up with the idea of Memorial Day known at the time as Decoration Day. He wanted a way to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. The first Memorial Day celebration was on May 30, 1868. It was held at Arlington National Cemetery with a crowd of 5,000 people decorating the graves of over 20,000 military personnel with flowers.
World War I and Official Declaration of a National Holiday
It wasn’t until after World War I that Memorial Day was expanded to honor all veterans who died in any American war. After World War I, as the day came to be observed in honor of those who had died in all U.S. wars, its name changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day. In 1971, Decoration Day became officially known as Memorial Day and Congress passed an act declaring it a national holiday.
Memorial Day Poppies
People wear poppies to honor America’s war dead in a Memorial Day. The tradition that dates back to the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by John McCrae. Inspired by the poem’s image of red poppies scattered through cross-shaped grave markers, American Moina Michael and France’s Anna E. Guerin started selling artificial poppies as a fundraiser for children affected by the war. Now, many Americans pin a poppy on their shirt as a sign of respect.
The poppy is worn in many of the countries that were Allied during World War I. These countries include Great Britain, France, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The poppy is often worn on and leading up to Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) on November 11th. November 11th is Veterans Day in the United States. The poppy is also worn on ANZAC Day (April 25) in New Zealand and Australia. April 25th commemorates the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops who served in the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. However, in the United States, the poppy is worn on Memorial Day, not Veterans Day.
National Moment of Remembrance
President Bill Clinton signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act” in December of 2000. The law encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence. In order to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.
Visit a local Veterans Cemetery
On Memorial Day, it is custom to bring flowers and lay them by a grave that does not have flowers.
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