Memorial Day is the last Monday of May. It is a time for remembrances and celebration. It is a special day to remember heroes who have given of themselves so we can breathe the air of freedom.
Here are a few fun facts about the holiday:
- Memorial Day once went by another name. The head of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union Veteran organization established Decoration Day on May 5, 1868. The holiday was meant to be a time for citizens to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.
- The date – May 30th was chosen to highlight the flowers of May. Major General John A. Logan felt that the flowers would be in full bloom all over the country at the end of the month.
- The Uniform Monday Holiday Act came into effect in 1971 so Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday of May. This was done to ensure a long weekend.
- In 1966 Congress passed a resolution recognizing Waterloo, N.Y. as the birthplace of the Memorial Day holiday.