May 28, 2007

• Memorial Day

  Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, it is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.  There is evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. 

  Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas (known as Confederate Heroes Day), April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.  

  So there is my history lesson.  I took pictures in my yard today of some of the flowers.  I think this is the wettest spring I have seen since I have lived here.  The flowers are pretty and fit for what was once called Decoration Day, and our flag is out in honor of those brave men and women who served this great country.  I hope your day is blessed.

  

  

   

  • 12:19 pm
  • 2 Comments