While today IS a day to celebrate, let’s celebrate what should be celebrated: military and associated folks that did NOT make it back from serving our country. That is all men, women, and service animals who laid down their lives in order for us, as a country, to retain our freedoms and not to be conquered or absorbed by any other countries or enemies.
So many times, Memorial Day weekend is one large cookout where people are grilling things to eat and drinking beer. If that’s how you celebrate, that’s fine; however, let’s be mindful of WHOM we are celebrating and WHY.
So Memorial Day has a pretty interesting backstory. It all started after the Civil War, which was one of the bloodiest conflicts in American history. People wanted to honor the soldiers who had died, so they began holding ceremonies and decorating graves with flowers. This was initially called “Decoration Day.”
The first major event took place on May 30, 1868, when General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic declared it a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. He chose May 30 because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle, so it was seen as a neutral day.
Over time, different states started adopting the holiday, but it wasn’t until after World War I that Memorial Day began to honor all American military personnel who died in all wars, not just the Civil War.
Fast forward to 1971, Congress decided to make it an official federal holiday and moved it to the last Monday in May, giving everyone a nice three-day weekend. This shift also turned it into a more general celebration of the start of summer, complete with barbecues, parades, and trips to the beach. So, while its roots are deeply solemn and respectful, Memorial Day has evolved into a mix of remembrance and summer fun.
Also, don’t wish anyone a “Happy Memorial Day,” especially veterans. May is “Military Appreciation Month” so thanking them for their service is ALWAYS appropriate, regardless of time of the year. Let’s just be mindful that Memorial Day is a day to thank those individuals who did not come back. Let’s be kind to their families and thankful for our freedoms. That, right there, is definitely worth celebrating!
