Memorial Day Date: May 31
Memorial Day is celebrated in the USA as a public holiday.
Memorial day is formerly known as Decoration day and commemorates the men and women who died during military service for the USA.
Memorial Day History
The original recognised Memorial Day is the 30th of May however it is now observed on the last Monday in May to create a three day weekend. In the first instance Memorial day (Decoration day) wascreated to honour soldiers of the civil war and is celebrated near the day of reunification. After world war one Memorial Day has expanded to remember all the American soldiers who have lost their lives in military action in any war. The tradition is to decorate the graves of comrades and family and in smaller towns many hold memorial services. A moment of remembrance takes place at 3PM Eastern Timeand the USA flag is flown at half mast from dawn until noon on that day.
Memorial Day Traditions and Activities
Many people honour Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials wearing poppies signifying a memorial to those lost in war as a result of the John McRae poem ‘Flanders Fields’.Some Americans view Memorial Day as the beginning of summer and use the time off to have picnics, barbecues, family gatherings and sporting events. One of the longest Memorial Day sporting events is the Indianapolis 500 automobile race. This race has been in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. In smaller southern communities many local organizations and emergency services celebrateMemorial Day by organizing parades and all family graves are decorated. In many towns the whole community celebrate Memorial Day by sharing a barbecue or picnic. In somesmall towns local soldiers are remembered during local church services or services in memorial parks.
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