The Significance of Memorial Day

Memorial Day history dates back to Civil War days. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. The purpose of Memorial Day is to honor those soldiers that have died fighting for our nation. There is no clear origin of where Memorial Day began, however, President Lyndon Johnson declared the birth place of Memorial Day to be Waterloo, New York.

Though hymns and other written literature suggests that women as far back as the Civil War era would decorate the graves of soldiers. The holiday began in 1868 and the first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in the year 1873. According to history, in 1890 the entire Northern region had recognized Memorial Day. The South held fast to their own Memorial Day and did not join with the North right away. Eventually, everyone would come together and by 2009 it is a nationally recognized holiday in every state.

Another important facet in Memorial Day history was the poetry of Moina Michael. Moina began a tradition of wearing red poppies. She wrote a poem about wearing her red poppy to honor the fallen. Soon, florists and street vendors sold red poppies to passersby on Memorial Day. Soon the poppy sales became a way to help raise funds for war widows and children that had lost a parent in service to the country. In 1922 the VA officially began selling red poppies for memorial purposes. In 1924 they offered disabled veterans a chance to help others and began selling artificial, handmade poppies. In 1948 the US Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating the red poppies and Moina.

In more recent years, Americans have forgotten the purpose of Memorial Day or simply are too busy to participate. There are fewer parades and fewer red poppies sold and worn. To help Americans remember and participate in this patriotic holiday, the National Moment of Remembrance Act was passed in 2000. This act asks us to reflect and honor those fallen veterans in our own way during the holiday.

While that act helped increase some awareness of the situation, many feel like the three day holidays including Memorial Day encourages Americans to forget the significance of the holiday. On Memorial Day in 2009, take some time out of your day to visit a veteran cemetery and place a single flower upon the grave. Give remembrance to the meaning of your holiday. Attend a Memorial Day parade in your home town and support the event. Let them know that this is an important and attractive festivity to help teach our children about this day. Don't just give your children a lecture on the history of Memorial Day but remind them of the events that have claimed our soldiers lives throughout the years and how significant those events were for us as a nation. All it takes to make a difference and restore the original purpose of Memorial Day is for more of us to take the day with a touch of seriousness and encourage our children to do the same. They are the next generation and shouldn't they show respect to these men and women who have fallen fighting for their freedom?

Sources: http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html