By Nick Baum
TUESDAY – 5/28/19
In the present day, we don’t think much of Memorial Day. We tend to view it as the start of summer, a day we have off from work or school so we can party, barbecue, and relax. Despite the festivities that can accompany the holiday however, it is traditionally a solemn holiday to honor our fallen veterans and soldiers.
The holiday emerged in the aftermath of the Civil War, and it was known as “Decoration Day”. The holiday was created by the families of fallen soldiers serving both the Union and the Confederacy, and was soon adopted by more and more municipalities and states to remember those who had fallen in the line of duty in the Civil War.
The day was soon incorporated more and more into remembering fallen soldiers in any war, battle, or skirmish rather than just the Civil War, and was also known as “Memorial Day” around the start of the 20th century. Finally, in 1971, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday where many families and soldiers visit the graves of their fallen figures to honor them, on the last Monday of every May.
Sources and Pictures: History.com, Wikipedia, AZ Central
