Memorial Day is a holiday born out of the ashes of the American Civil War. The earliest known celebration was in 1865. In Charleston, S.C., the racetrack there had been converted into a prison camp for the confederate army. A parade of freed slaves and union soldiers held a picnic there when the Civil War ended. Afterwards, several southern states began to hold observances for their war dead that came to be known as "Dedication Day."
Army General, John Logan, was impressed at how the southern soldiers paid respects to their Civil War dead. In Waterloo, N.Y. on 5 May 1866, he observed "Dedication Day" in the north. Two years later on the same day in 1868, he issued a proclamation that "Dedication Day" observed nationwide. On 30 May 1868, Logan had the tombs of fallen Union soldiers decorated because it was a date in which no major Civil War battles had taken place and time could be spared to honor the dead.
New York was the first state to officially recognize "Dedication Day" in 1873. After World War I, the theme behind the day changed from honoring Civil War dead to honoring all Americans who had fought and died in any war.
Have you ever wondered why Veteran's organizations sell poppies, real and artificial, around Memorial Day? The idea was born out of World War I. Poet Moina Michael, inspired by the poem, "In Flanders Fields," wrote her own about wearing red poppies which was supposed to symbolize the blood of those soldiers who had served during wartime. She then began to wear red poppies on "Dedication Day," as her way of honoring the war dead. The idea caught on and shortly before "Dedication Day" in 1922, the VFW became the first organization to sell poppies nationally. Nowadays you'll find VFW's selling mostly artificial poppies on Memorial Day, a testament to Michael's poem and her actions.
In 1882, "Memorial Day," was first used as an alternate name or "Dedication Day," but it wasn't until after World War II did it become more common. In 1967 the federal government passed legislation making "Memorial Day" the official name of the holiday.
The federal government also changed Memorial Day from 30 May to the last Monday in May to facilitate a three-day weekend in 1968. Since then, Americans in general, have gotten away from the meaning and traditions of the holiday and there's been a recent push in Congress to change the holiday back to 30 May.
Some traditions associated with the holiday include a national moment of silence at three p.m. EST, the U.S. flag is flown at half staff from down until noon, and volunteers still place a U.S. flag on each grave in the Arlington National Cemetery.
