Small Memories

Memorial Day, as we know it today, has roots in southern celebrations honoring those who fell in the Civil War. Learn about the holiday’s roots as well as your family’s history.

Many countries observe a day to honor men and women who have died in military service to their country. Previously, in the United States, this day of honor was known as Decoration Day. It wasn’t until after World War 1 that the U.S. nation as a whole celebrated Decoration Day or Memorial Day, as it’s known today.

The roots of Memorial Day go back to 1865. Just after the Civil War, many southern communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war and as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the early cities creating a memorial day include Charleston, South Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and Columbus, Mississippi. Charleston is credited with observing the first Memorial Day in 1865.

General John A. Logan, of Waterloo, N.Y. observed these first memorial days and was impressed by the way the South honored their dead. He thought so highly of the idea that in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a veterans’ organization, Logan issued a proclamation that “Decoration Day” be observed nationwide on May 30 of each year. This date was chosen because it was NOT a date associated with a major Civil War battle. It is because of Gen. Logan’s initial efforts that we now have the federally recognized, “Memorial Day.”

Since 1971, the nation, as a whole, has celebrated Memorial Day as a three-day holiday. According to many, including Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) representatives, the holiday has lost its focus and many Americans have come to associate it with a “free” weekend rather than with the holiday’s original reverent focus on men and women who gave “their all” for their country.

Don’t let the significance of Memorial Day be lost on your family and children. Find out how the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World Wars 1 & 2, and other wars/actions have affected your family’s roots and history. Did someone have to move? Did they have to overcome hardships? None of us like to think about war but it’s important to know how we as a family and as a nation have been touched by the patriotic acts of our ancestors and neighbors.

Teach your children (and yourself) about the personal sacrifices your family has made. Give your children an ancestor and family member to be proud of. Show your kids that they come from a long line of dedicated, honored, and respected people. When you give them roots, you give them self-worth. What better gift can you give your child and family?

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Begin celebrating Memorial Day and what it means to you with one of our Poppy Designs.

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

~ Moina Michael