by Sabrina Henriquez

Currently, it is nearing the end of May and a large part of the US population, especially students and teachers, are looking forward to the long, upcoming Memorial Day weekend because it offers a few days of rest and relaxation. However, I have noticed that many people do not even understand the significance that Memorial Day holds in our history.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday, held on the last Monday of May, for the purpose of mourning and honoring deceased loved ones/service members that have died while defending our nation. Originally, Memorial Day was referred to as Decoration Day due to the tradition of visiting soldier’s graves and mourning the loss of those soldiers by leaving decorative items such as wreaths, flowers, and flags graveside. Memorial Day is similar to Veterans Day but it is not to be confused with Veterans Day. Memorial Day recognizes all those who have died serving our country while Veterans Day honors all those who have served in the armed forces at some point. 

Memorial Day originated in New York in 1863 as it was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was an important enough holiday to be recognized on a federal level. In reality, although many individuals “celebrate” the long Memorial Day weekend, it is a somber holiday for those who have lost loved ones serving in the military. 

Additionally, some facts that many individuals may not know about Memorial Day include that on the last Friday of May many people wear red poppies to honor the fallen soldiers. The red poppy symbolizes sacrifice and is worn in order to recognize those who have served and died. Additionally, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act at 3PM on Memorial Day for people to stop and remember fallen service men and women. Therefore, 3 PM is considered an important time on Memorial Day. Lastly, there are a large number of parades on Memorial Day in order to salute our military and fallen heroes, also as an act of remembrance.  

This year, Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 26th. However, it is not the same date each year.  Furthermore, Memorial Day is not something that should be “celebrated”. It is a day to recognize, honor, and remember the fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives and bravely served in our military.