Gourt > Society > Holidays > Memorial Day (1)
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (most recently observed May 29, 2006). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911.
Traditional observance
Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 pm Washington time. Another tradition is to fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers place a U.S. Flag upon each gravesite located in a National Cemetery. In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also a time for picnics, family gatherings, and sporting events. Some Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. The national Click it or ticket campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend noting the beginning of most dangerous season for auto and other safety related incidents. The USAF "101 Critical days of summer" * also begin on this day as well. Some Americans use Memorial Day weekend to also honor any family members who have passed away, not just servicemen. Christian Church services on the Sunday prior to Memorial Day may include a reading of the names of members who have died during the previous twelve months. Memorial Day formerly occurred on May 30, and some, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), advocate returning to this fixed date. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address, "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, a veteran of World War II, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional day since 1998.
History
Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the early cities creating a memorial day include Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Carbondale, Illinois; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances eventually coalesced around Decoration Day honoring the Union dead and the several Confederate Memorial Days. More on [ Memorial Day ]
Busy day at work, then memorial for my uncle. intense but good. Greek for dinner, Lady GaGa on the subway. Now home to feed the cat brood.
alex_segura (Alex Segura) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:25:43 -0000
Busy day at work, then memorial for my uncle. intense but good. Greek for dinner, Lady GaGa on the subway. Now home to feed the cat brood.
#TRUTHis All MIAMI AND BROWARD PPL want to do is go to da PARADE ON MLK DAY / then Youth fair / then south Beach on memorial weekend
CASHIEGURL (Cashie Gurl) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:25:43 -0000
#TRUTHis All MIAMI AND BROWARD PPL want to do is go to da PARADE ON MLK DAY / then Youth fair / then south Beach on memorial weekend
#TRUTHis All MIAMI AND BROWARD PPL want to do is go to da PARADE ON MLK DAY / then Youth fair / then south Beach on memorial weekend
msdimeofdasouth (Ms. Dime of Da South) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:22:40 -0000
#TRUTHis All MIAMI AND BROWARD PPL want to do is go to da PARADE ON MLK DAY / then Youth fair / then south Beach on memorial weekend
@Heavenboo1 Sure. for Memorial day wkend?
KayRocs (Just Kay) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:09:40 -0000
@Heavenboo1 Sure. for Memorial day wkend?
SACP pans 'excess' at Slovo memorial - Business Day http://bit.ly/8PPWnA
empressvivian (Vivian Chang) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:04:41 -0000
SACP pans 'excess' at Slovo memorial - Business Day http://bit.ly/8PPWnA
New property find: Memorial Day at The Beach http://tinyurl.com/ye5rm4h
newyorkproperty (New York Real Estate) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:01:05 -0000
New property find: Memorial Day at The Beach http://tinyurl.com/ye5rm4h
Always Memorial Day - Honoring soldiers, patriots, freedom-fighters past, ancient and future; in the United States and other countries.
Meta Description: [ Honoring soldiers, patriots, freedom-fighters past, ancient and future; in the United States and other countries. ]
America - Expresses thanks to those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Each Day Memorial Day - A moving tribute to Memorial Day and the American veteran from the American Revolution to modern times.
Meta Description: [ A moving tribute to Memorial Day and the American veteran from the American Revolution to modern times. ]
Federal Employees Memorial - Recognizes Federal employees who have given their lives while serving the public. Includes pictures of the memorial, history, and location.
Memorial Day - Includes historical section, memorials and casualty files, reproductions of writings and speeches, remarks from presidents, flag etiquette, and links.
Meta Description: [ Memorial Day History. ]
Memorial Day History - It gives a brief account of the history of Memorial Day, its origins and first celebrations in the USA.
Meta Description: [ A brief Description of the history of Memorial Day. ]
Memorial Day Origin - Information on the inspiration and origins in Petersburg, Virginia, of the National Memorial Day. With Civil War related information and links.
Meta Description: [ The inspiration for and origin of the National Memorial Day in Petersburg, Virginia ]
The History of Memorial Day - Explores the Civil War-era origins of the holiday as well as little-known facts about America's wars. From the History Channel.
Meta Description: [ Learn about Memorial Day at The History Channel ]
Tombstone Transcription Project - Enlists volunteers to transcribe tombstone inscriptions and archive work for future reference.
Tribute to the Bravado - Memorial Day - Commemorate Memorial Day on the Web. Resources include history and origin, wars fought by US, landmarks of US military, poems, activity idea for kids, buletin board to post tribute, wallpapers, screensavers, and e-greetings.
Meta Description: [ A commemoration of the sacrifices made by the courageous many in the army - Memorial Day ]
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United States Naval Submarine School: Memorial Day - Address given by the commanding officier.
Washington DC City Pages: Tourism: Memorial Day - Points to Memorial Day resources in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.
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