Memorial Day, History and Origin

Memorial Day, History and Origin

I love Memorial Day. Ever since my son Jay was in the Marines and had 3 tours to Iraq it has taken a different and unique meaning. Jay’s roommate and friend Alex Arredondo was killed there in Iraq. Alex was an awesome kid. He has been truly missed.
Enjoy the history and origin of Memorial Day. Hopefully it will open up the meaning and significance for you.




Memorial Day is an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May which honors men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day. The Day originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades.

Early Observances of Memorial Day

America’s first national cemeteries were established because of the Civil War. More lives were lost during the Civil War than in any other conflict or war in US History. By the late 1860s Americans all across the United States had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.

There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920).

While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the .origins of the day. It is more likely that the holiday had many separate beginnings. Yet, what is known for sure is that The Federal government declared Waterloo, New York the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo had 1^st celebrated the day on May 5, 1966. Waterloo was chosen because it had hosted an annual, community-wide celebration. During this celebration businesses closed and members of the community decorated the graves of soldiers with flags and flowers.

Decoration Day – Predecessor of Memorial Day

On May 5, 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, was proclaimed for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Many Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I. http://www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-history

Evolution of Memorial Day

Memorial Day changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it. http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html


Memorial Day is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays. This law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.
Several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Current Memorial Day Legislature

On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform. To date there have been no developments on the bill. http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Have a wonderful Memorial Day,
Charyl aka Mom8isme