Memorial Day, a federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May, serves as the nation’s primary day to mourn and honor deceased service men and women. While many today associate the weekend with the start of summer, the holiday has deep roots in the aftermath of the Civil War.
From Decoration Day to a National Holiday
Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday was formalized in 1868 by General Order No. 11, issued by John A. Logan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. This “Memorial Day Order” called for the nation to remember its war dead by decorating their graves with the “choicest flowers of springtime”.
The practice of “decoration days” actually began spontaneously in various communities—both North and South—in the years immediately following the Civil War. Notable early observances occurred in:
- Boalsburg, PA (1864): Where women decorated the graves of fallen soldiers.
- Charleston, SC (1865): Where Black freedmen held a significant program at a cemetery for Union dead.
- Waterloo, NY: Which was officially recognized by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 as the “birthplace” of Memorial Day.
An Expanding Legacy
While initially focused on those lost in the Civil War, the holiday was expanded after World War I to honor those who died in all American wars. In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act officially designated Memorial Day as a national holiday and moved its observance from May 30 to the last Monday in May.
How We Honor Today
Today, the traditions of Decoration Day continue through the placement of miniature flags on gravesites in national cemeteries. One of the most significant modern additions is the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause for one minute of silence at 3:00 p.m. local time to honor those who have died in service to the nation. As the sources note, this day is a religious custom intended to ensure that the “sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes are never forgotten”
