As Memorial Day is celebrated every year
on the final Monday of May, I will post the information about this May observance
from Wikipedia.
The gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery are
decorated by U.S. flags on Memorial Day weekend.
|
Observed by
|
United States
|
Type
|
National
|
Observances
|
Remembrance of American
war dead
|
Date
|
Last Monday in May
|
2013 date
|
May 27
|
2014 date
|
May 26
|
2015 date
|
May 25
|
2016 date
|
May 30
|
Frequency
|
annual
|
Memorial Day
is a US federal holiday wherein the men and women who died while serving in the
United States Armed Forces are remembered. The holiday, which is celebrated
every year on the final Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after
the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who
died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to
honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically
marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.
Many
people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have
died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave
in national cemeteries.
Annual
Decoration Days for particular cemeteries are held on a Sunday in late spring
or early summer in some rural areas of the American South, notably in the
mountains. In cases involving a family graveyard where remote ancestors as well
as those who were deceased more recently are buried, this may take on the
character of an extended family reunion to which some people travel hundreds of
miles. People gather on the designated day and put flowers on graves and renew
contacts with kinfolk and others. There often is a religious service and a
"dinner on the ground," the traditional term for a potluck meal in
which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or tablecloths on the
grass. It is believed that this practice began before the American Civil War
and thus may reflect the real origin of the "memorial day" idea.
Memorial
Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of
remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day
celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.
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