It seems an oxymoron to wish someone a "Happy Memorial Day" if you know the true meaning of the holiday. To most of us it is the unofficial start of summer. It's when swimming pools open and we fire up the backyard barbecues. While I hope you do enjoy this holiday weekend, I invite you to remember why we have this holiday: to remember those who have died in wars for our country.
Here's the background and history of Memorial Day:
Now observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and dates back to the years following the Civil War. At the time, groups would decorate the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers, a practice still acknowledged with people often visiting cemeteries to decorate veteran graves.
While the tradition existed throughout the U.S., in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York - which had commemorated the day since May 5, 1866 - the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, May 30 was set aside as a nationwide Decoration Day, with the date selected because it didn't correspond to the anniversary of any particular battle.
After World War I, the day became known to honor veterans of both the Civil War and the more recent conflict. It remained on May 30 until 1968, when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May to create a three-day holiday for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971, the same day Memorial Day was designated a federal holiday.
Namaste,
Karin