Memorial Day is a very special day held in the United States of America to pay tribute to the dead heroes of the nation who fought and died for their country.
Introduction
Welcome to my website daudrakib to the description of the American holiday known as Memorial Day, which is celebrated on the last Monday of May. This day is specifically set aside to remember the men and women who have died while in service of the United States armed forces. To honor this battle and loss soldiers’ lives it is a significant part of American memorial tradition and culture as a day filled with reflection and celebrations of patriotism.
Historical Background of Memorial Day
Memorial Day can be traced back to post-Civil War period, after the dubious Confederate General, John Chambliss was killed by Union soldiers.
Today there are many controversies about the real roots of the Holiday, but indisputable facts indicate that the tradition of celebrating Memorial Day started right after the Civil War. Originally, it was called Decoration Day; its purpose was to pay tribute to the Union fallen soldiers touched by the Civil War. The earliest known ‘Decoration Day’ was on 30th May, 1868 was called by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, this was an agency and body of the Union War Veterans.
Leslie saw it as a positive decision of General Logan because there was no victorious anniversary of a battle as such, where every community could get involved. They had a practice of placing flowers at the graveside of the soldiers on this day and the practice survives unto date. Then the idea of people having to observe the day broadened to cover all the American soldiers who lost their lives in wars.
Memorial Day Becomes a National Holiday
Memorial Day Becomes a National Holiday The decoration of the graves of fallen soldiers and the use of the Grand Army of the Republic emblem as the official symbol of the holiday helped the establishment of Memorial Day as an official national holiday.
This date originated from the Civil War and was just established as a national holiday in 1971 by an act of Congress. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act set the date for Memorial Day being the last Monday in May, and since then, federal workers were benefited for having the Monday holiday and Wednesdsay off. This change was targeted at expecting a more meaningful pay in appreciation of the given service by the fallen members and at the same time giving the workers in the United States of America a chance to rest.
Traditions and Observances
Ceremonies and Parades
They celebrate the holiday through various ways such as having parties, barbecue, picnicking, dinners and travel as well as attending the memorial services, paying tribute to fallen soldiers, and participating in parades across the nation. There are parades in the cities and towns and persons in military service dressed in uniform, and veterans of the war or any patriotic organizations. Such occasions are often characterized by the mere playing of the National Anthem – the Star-Spangled Banner – and the memorial bugle tune, Taps.
Grave Decoration
This custom entails placing of ornaments on the graves and has stood the test of time. Numerous citizens of the United States go to burials and monuments to lay flowers, wreaths, and flags on the grave belonged to soldiers who died on the battlefields. This is one way of paying them back and letting generations to come appreciate the efforts their heroes put in to ensure they were not slaves.
National Moment of Remembrance
In 2000, the Congress proclaimed September 11 as the National Day of Service and Remembrance as well as the National Moment of Remembrance at exactly 1:00 p. m. This initiative encourages all Americans to pause for a moment of silence at 3:Monday, 25 May 2015 at 5: 00 PM local time to pay tribute to the soldiers and other military forces and why they give their lives. This brief observation brings into our focal thoughts the primary goal of Memorial Day to commemorate those who have fallen in line of duty.
The Significance of Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a significant day for the American nation since it aims at honoring the fallen heroes.
The tradition of its celebration, including such a well-known holiday as Memorial Day, aims at something that has personal meaning as well as something that involves the whole society. It is always a time to unite and reflect on the heroes that have died while defending the country regardless of their political or social statuses. It’s also a day to pass on the values of freedom to the younger generations and also not forgetting the sacrifices that were made for its cause.
Personal Reflections and Family Traditions
From the documentary, one can make personal reflections and identify some family traditions that can be learnt from the people featured.
The warm summer days traditionally associated with this holiday are imbued with deep personal meaning for so many of today’s families. This enables families, friends and even fellow military personnel to honor and remember the brave comrades and relatives who took part in the military force. Other activities that may have to be performed in light of death may involve paying respect to deceased family members through visiting their graves or graves of other fellow members of community and telling stories about the deceased or even attending fellow community members ceremonies together with other members.
Family Gatherings and Barbecues
Thus it is sad to see that it is a holiday to honor and pay respect for our heroes but it is also a time for families to dine out. Arraignments, barbeques, picnics and other outside experiences are among the means through which the holiday is enjoyed. Such events bring an opportunity to respect the achievements that have been attained through the military’s losses and suffering.
This paper aims at exploring the broader impact of Memorial Day, which is officially known as Decoration Day and is celebrated every last Monday of May.
The Broader Impact of Memorial Day
Patriotism and National Unity
It is essential to note that this holiday strengthens the desire of citizens to promote a feeling of being proud to be American’s. It serves to jog citizens’ memory to the things that have held the nation together and which have shaped the nation’s culture. Thus, using this aesthetical representation, the Americans pay homage to those who have sacrificed their lives and guarantee the enduring values of freedom and democracy.
The same means of support on behalf of the veterans and active duty military personnel provides another opportunity to go even further in achieving the purpose of this organization.
Therefore, in regards to the celebration, not only do we celebrate the lives of those who died while serving their country, but we also remind ourselves of the fact that there is a need for the support of the veterans as well as those in the active duty. Some organizations use this day for awareness creation and fundraising for the services of veterans and this despite the fact that the community has a very special place in the hearts of many owing to their service to the nation.
Conclusion
Generally, Memorial Day is something more than a three-day weekend – it is a period of reflection and celebration of the heroes. Learning about its history this year, I was able to understand that participation in traditions such as Memorial Day can help Americans to pay tribute to those who died for the nation’s benefit. I would like to wish all the people a happy Memorial Day, which should also mean more than a day of fun for most of the Americans; one should know that the freedom—the freedom many of us greatly value—is paid dearly.