This is a federal holiday held on the last Monday of May. It is considered to be the unofficial beginning of Summer. It is the time ofr visiting cemeteries and memorials to mourn the military personnel who died in the line of duty. Volunteers will place American flags on the graves of those military personnel in national cemeteries.
The first national observance occurred on 30th May 1868. Then known as Decoration Day, the holiday was proclaimed by Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organisation of veterans, to honour Union Soldiers who had died in the American Civil War. This national observance followed the example of many local observances which were begun between the end of the Civil War and Logan’s declaration. The National Cemetery Administration credits Marry Ann Williams of the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia, with originating the idea of an annual date to decorate the graves of Civil War veterans with flowers. Official recognition began in New York in 1873, and by 1890 every union state had adopted it. The world wars turned it into a day of remembrance for all members of the U.S. military who fought and died in service. In 1968, Congress changed its observance to the last Monday in May, and in 1971 standardised its name as Memorial Day.
Holidays & Special Events 