More Than Just a Sales Day – Origins of Memorial Day
May 22, 2015 by The Catskill Chronicle
A reprint of a story we first ran in 2010
Story and top photo by Carol Montana
SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY (May 22, 2015) – Mom used to call it Decoration Day, which is what it was known by when she was growing up. Today it is officially called Memorial Day – a day set aside to honor those men and women who died in the service of their country.
The custom of decorating graves of fallen soldiers goes back, it is told, to ancient Greece. In this country, the custom started
after the Civil War. And the city of Waterloo, NY is the acknowledged first city to hold a memorial service on May 5, 1866.
It was 1882 before the term Memorial Day was first used, and that became the official name of 
the remembrance in 1967. One year later Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their original dates to a specific Monday. Memorial Day, traditionally celebrated on May 30 was moved to the last Monday in May. This year, that day is May 27.
Canada celebrates a similar observance and calls it Victoria Day, There it was celebrated on May 20.
Volunteers, many of them veterans, observe Memorial Day by placing American flags on each grave site at all the 146 national cemeteries.
And wherever you go, be safe, and please thank a member of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Marines, and thank a veteran, too.
The Catskill Chronicle will be taking the weekend off to spend with family and friends. We wish you peace.
Click any service in this box to share this post with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
The Catskill Chronicle 
More Than Just a Sales Day – Origins of Memorial Day
May 22, 2015 by The Catskill Chronicle
A reprint of a story we first ran in 2010
SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY (May 22, 2015) – Mom used to call it Decoration Day, which is what it was known by when she was growing up. Today it is officially called Memorial Day – a day set aside to honor those men and women who died in the service of their country.
The custom of decorating graves of fallen soldiers goes back, it is told, to ancient Greece. In this country, the custom started
after the Civil War. And the city of Waterloo, NY is the acknowledged first city to hold a memorial service on May 5, 1866.
It was 1882 before the term Memorial Day was first used, and that became the official name of
the remembrance in 1967. One year later Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their original dates to a specific Monday. Memorial Day, traditionally celebrated on May 30 was moved to the last Monday in May. This year, that day is May 27.
Canada celebrates a similar observance and calls it Victoria Day, There it was celebrated on May 20.
Volunteers, many of them veterans, observe Memorial Day by placing American flags on each grave site at all the 146 national cemeteries.
And wherever you go, be safe, and please thank a member of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Marines, and thank a veteran, too.
The Catskill Chronicle will be taking the weekend off to spend with family and friends. We wish you peace.
Click any service in this box to share this post with your friends!
Like this:
Related
Posted in Comments | Leave a Comment
Comments RSS