A wreath on the Memorial Day
I have read this story on the US Embassy website of Stockholm: It was mid-19th century. When all became quiet after the Civil War and surviving soldiers started returning home, a drugstore owner in Waterloo got the idea of Memorial Day for the first time. He proposed that all the shops in the town remain closed for the day to honor the souls who could not return from the War. It was May 5, 1866.
During the same time, Retired Major General Jonathan A. Logan thought out another plan for those who survived the war. He guided the veterans to the cemetery to decorate comrades’ graves with flags. The day was name Decoration Day at that time.
The two ceremonies were combined in 1868 and in 1882 the name Memorial Day was coined. The day is not for celebration only; it is the time to offer our respect to those who dedicated their lives for the nation.
May 30th, 2006 at 6:28 am
I’m a Vietnam Vet and have a lot of reverence for that day … and other holidays meant to honor specific things in our history. I was deeply distressed when President Nixon decided to “Monday-fy” all such holidays just so people could have 3-day weekends. Somehow, it seems to detract from the spirit of the holiday. While it’s not going to happen, and though a lot of people might think me a killjoy for suggesting it, I’d much rather see such holiday’s “Wednesday-fied” to appear in the middle of a work week … so there’s no question that the holiday MEANS SOMETHING MORE than a long weekend.
May 31st, 2006 at 1:01 am
LessIsMore, I completely agree with your point. We often forget the spirit of the day and get ourselves engaged in fun. The purpose of the holiday becomes secondary. What about making it on a particular date rather than on a specific day? Just my 2 cents.