Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is traditionally a remembrance day for
those who have died in military service. Its actual origin is the subject of some debate;
over two dozen cities and towns claim to have originated Memorial Day, but Waterloo,
New York, was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon
Johnson in May 1966.
As early as the 1860s, communities began organizing events to honor the Civil War
dead. The first official Memorial Day was proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by General John
Logan, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was first observed on May 30,
1868, when volunteers placed flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate
soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
By 1890, May 30 had been recognized by the northern states as Memorial Day. The
southern states continued to honor the Confederate dead on a separate day until after
World War I, when the occasion changed from exclusively a Civil War commemoration
to one that included all American soldiers killed in battle. Since 1971, the holiday has
been celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May, which was mandated by
Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three-day weekend for fed-
eral holidays.
In 1918, inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields, Moina Michael penned We Shall Keep
the Faith, which includes the lines:
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,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
Moina Michael conceived the idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day and was
the first to wear and sell them to her friends and co-workers to raise money for service-
men in need. On Memorial Day in 1922, the Veterans of Foreign Wars became the first
organization to sell red paper poppies nationally. In 1948, a postage stamp with Moina
Michaels’ likeness was issued to honor her part in the creation of this tradition.
Solemn observance of Memorial Day has altered somewhat over the years, and some
feel that the attachment to a three-day weekend in 1971 has distracted from the true
meaning of the day. In a Memorial Day proclamation in 2002, the Veterans of Foreign
Wars stated: “Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined
the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general pub-
lic’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.” Many Americans do think of Memorial
Day as the official beginning of summer, signaling a time for backyard barbeques, fun at
the beach, and lazy days at home, but many communities across the United States also
continue to pay homage to those who have fallen in battle with parades, church services,
and flag-draped cemeteries.
For many Americans, showing support and respect for the sacrifices and losses sus-
tained by our military families is especially significant today. There are many ways your
family can do this:
- Spend a Saturday putting together care packages to send to troops overseas, includ-
ing handmade cards from your kids that express support for those who will receive them.
There is abundant information available on the Internet regarding specific items that are
needed and how to pack and send them.
- Deliver gift baskets to your local veterans’ hospital with your children. Having the
opportunity to thank some of our servicemen and women in person for their bravery is
something neither you nor your kids will soon forget.
- If a family in your community has a loved one serving overseas or lost a family mem-
ber in the line of duty, make a point of remembering them on this day. A gift card for
groceries, clothing, or toys, or a big bag of coffee beans and home-baked muffins with a
handmade card from your kids is a simple way to show solidarity and support.
