When is Memorial Day

When is Memorial Day

Some people ask their friends “When is Memorial Day?”, so they can get their answers from here regarding the date and celebrations of this event. You can celebrate Memorial Day as a federal holiday in the United States in honor of the military who have sacrificed their lives while serving in the US armed forces. It is an American holiday on the last Monday of May. This year in 2022, it will observe on May 30. It is also the beginning of summer in the United States.

When is Memorial Day
When is Memorial Day

The History of Memorial Day

The Americans celebrated this day on 30th May from 1868 to 1970 but are now witnessed on May’s last Monday. From 1971 onwards, memorial day is celebrated every year on the last Monday of May. In the civil war of 1865, the number of people who died was countless more than in all other wars, so people started to recite prayers and decorate the graves with flowers to honor the dead men and women of the united stated Army.

There is no evidence in history that from where this memorial day started, some cities and people independently started memorial gatherings and celebrated the event. Still, in 1890, every northern state started to celebrate it as a holiday. In 1966 federal government declared New York the birthplace of memorial day. After that, people started strewing flowers on graves and praying at the graves. In 1971, congress declared a national holiday on this day, and decoration day became memorial day. Also, in 1971, this day shifted from May 30 to the last Monday of May. After world war I, memorial day began to honor every soldier who died during any war.

It’s become an occasion for veterans, ministers, and politicians to deliver speeches on a memorial day to discuss the enemy’s cruelty in civil war. In this way, they tried to awaken the sense of sacrifice in the people for a better nation. People from all religions united together and proved that they were true Americans.

Decoration Day

You can also call it Decoration Day to honor the dead men, women, and civil war soldiers. The name decoration day was declared the official name by federal law in 1967. General John Logan began to celebrate memorial day. The first celebration was held at Arlington national cemetery on May 30, 1868. It has a huge crowd of 5,000 people who have decorated 20,000 graves of military persons who have given their lives for the US Military. The date for the memorial day was ideal because no other war was held on this date.

Celebration of Memorial Day

The main cities of the United States, for example, New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C, arrange parades on a memorial day, visit the graveyards of the men and women who died for the U.S Military, and some share quotations about memorial day on social media platforms; people also throw parties on this day, shops that remain open on this day announce sales. People go to restaurants with family and friends for lunch and dinner. Some wear a red poppy to remember the soldiers of the civil war. President Bill Clinton signed the law the national moment of remembrance act in December 2000. The law says all Americans will pause at 3 pm, no matter where they are, only for one minute from their time for silence to honor the dead servants of the nation.

Movies, Poems, and Music on Memorial Day

It is better to start your day with the decorations of the graves. Moreover, you can enjoy the following things to spend the weekend in the memory of your loved ones.

Poems

Many poets wrote poems on a memorial day to remember their dead military personnel. Francis M.Finch wrote a poem named “The blue and the Gray” in 1867 in remembrance of the military soldiers who died in the civil war.

Michael Awania wrote the poem “memorial day” on decoration day about the sacrifices of the civilians. He wrote it in 1994. Joyce Kilmer also wrote a poem named “memorial day.”

Another poet who wrote the poem “decoration day” in 1882; was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Music

American rock band Drive-by truckers released an album titled “Decoration Day” in 2003, and Jason Isbell wrote the song.

Movies

You can watch a movie to recall the memories of this occasion in your mind. the industry released this type of film in 2012 to wake the spirit and love for their state. The film’s lead stars were James Cromwell, John Cromwell, and Jonathan Bennett.

Should we say Happy Memorial Day?

It is a day to honor the servants of the nation who sacrificed their lives for their country. Some people don’t like the idea of shifting the holiday from May 30 to the last Monday of May, which is three day weekend because due to the long weekend, people start to celebrate that weekend by barbecues, parties and shops started to sell, and many people have dinners in restaurants with friends and family. It seems like it is some celebratory event.

Although the word happy means joy and happiness, some people think this is not appropriate to say happy memorial day because the one who has lost their loved ones can be deeply hurt by hearing this because it is a day of sadness and sorrow.

But on the other hand, if we think positively, then the word happy can also express gratitude to the soldiers who fought and gave their lives for the freedom of their country. Because of them, the people of America are living a life of freedom.

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