When is Memorial Day 2023? Meaning, History, Significance, Traditions, facts & More
Memorial Day 2023: Memorial Day is observed every year on the last Monday of May. This year it falls on May 29. The day honours and remembers the fallen American Military personnel.
Memorial Day 2023: Memorial Day, commonly referred to as Decoration Day, is a federal holiday observed every year in the US. The day acknowledges and mourns the sacrifices of fallen American military personnel. It is usually observed on the last Monday of May, which falls on May 29 this year.
Memorial Day 2023: History
During the war, women took the lead in developing the increasingly formal tradition of grave decoration. On May 5, 1868, three years after the Civil War came to an end, the leader of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a group of Union veterans, founded Decoration Day as a day for the country to decorate the graves of the fallen soldiers with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan chose the day to be May 30.
According to the History Channel report, “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defence of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land”.
States began to formally recognise the day as a holiday in 1873, starting with New York. Every state in the Union had adopted it later by 1890. However, Congress shifted the date of the holiday's observance to the final Monday in May 1971, standardising it as 'Memorial Day.'
Memorial Day 2023: Significance
On Memorial Day, a lot of people visit graves and memorials to remember and pay respect to those who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. military. In national cemeteries, many volunteers place American flags over the graves of service members. The Memorial Day is also seen as the unofficial start of summer.
Memorial Day Traditions
Memorial Day parades are held in towns and cities across the country, involving members of the armed forces and veterans' groups. Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C. host some of the biggest parades.
Some general customs, as opposed to specific events that resulted in the national declaration, include placing flowers on the graves of fallen troops. In the United States, both before and during the American Civil War, the graves of soldiers were decorated. In national cemeteries, many volunteers place American flags over the graves of service members.
Visits to cemeteries and memorials are another way for Americans to observe Memorial Day. A tradition that got its start with a World War I poem is the wearing of a crimson poppy in honour of those who have died in battle.
Interesting Facts About Memorial Day 2023
- General John A. Logan decided to hold the celebration in May because it is a blossoming season.
- Arlington Cemetery, a military cemetery, is around the area of 472 football fields or 624 acres and has nearly 400,000 burials!
- Arlington National Cemetery had its inaugural Memorial Day service there in 1868. President James A. Garfield delivered a two-hour speech on the significance of Memorial Day in front of more than 5,000 attendees.
- The custom of donning silk poppies in honour of dead soldiers was inspired by the World War I poem "In Flanders Field."
- The national flag is flown at half-staff from dawn to noon on Memorial Day to honour fallen soldiers. By evening, it is hoisted to its full height to represent the hope that survives death.
- According to reports, a maximum of 38 million people travel across the boundaries to pay tribute to fallen soldiers.
Memorial Day is considered one of the civic activities which involve the community. Displaying flags over soldiers’ graves means a lot to members of our community that have military families. The day values emotions and zeal to sacrifice lives for motherland.
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