Today is Memorial Day in America, a day which is set aside to honor and memorialize those who have died in active military service on behalf of our country. First established in 1868 to honor Civil War casualties throughout the country, it was to be observed by "strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades" — May 30th chosen because flowers would be in bloom nationwide. Congress, in 1971, established Memorial Day as a national holiday, placing it as the last Monday in May.
This is considered a somber day, not to be celebrated, but over the years it has become synonymous with the unofficial start of summer and so is usually used as an excuse to join with family and friends at outdoor gatherings. Nothing wrong with that, so long as we remember the very important purpose of this day. In fact, there's something known as the National Moment of Remembrance which asks that Americans pause in silence to honor those who have died serving the U.S., and takes place at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.
This is considered a somber day, not to be celebrated, but over the years it has become synonymous with the unofficial start of summer and so is usually used as an excuse to join with family and friends at outdoor gatherings. Nothing wrong with that, so long as we remember the very important purpose of this day. In fact, there's something known as the National Moment of Remembrance which asks that Americans pause in silence to honor those who have died serving the U.S., and takes place at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.
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