Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day to remember those who have died in our nation's service. After the Civil War, many people in the North and South decorated graves of fallen soldiers with flowers.
Since 1971, Americans have observed Memorial Day as a legal federal holiday occurring on the last Monday of May. Commonly known as the unofficial start of summer, it is part of a three-day weekend filled with cookouts, travel and concerts and, most important, ceremonies honoring the nation s war dead.
Discover the historic roots of Memorial Day in Waterloo, New York where the tradition began in 1865 to honor fallen soldiers with flowers on their graves, paving the way for a nationwide observance on May 30th.
Stephen Corson has respectfully turned the role down many times before, he will finally serve as grand marshal when the Bethlehem Memorial Day parade steps off on May 27.
People mean well and no-one is being disrespectful, but a lot of people will greet their friends and families this weekend by saying, Happy Memorial Day! This is not a proper greeting and there are many who will become very bothered when we repeat that greeting and they have a very good reason.