Memorial Day

Date

The last Monday in May

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History and Origins

This holiday is not a day that Americans really celebrate. Instead, it has a quieter purpose. Memorial Day is a day to remember the people who have died in wars while they were defending our country. Most people also honor their own family members who have died. Memorial Day began soon after the Civil War ended in 1865. So many Americans were killed during the war that nearly every family in the country had a member who had died. The day was originally called "Decoration Day" because people would go to the cemeteries and decorate military graves with flags and flowers. For a long time nearly every state celebrated this day, but it was on different days. Then, in 1971, the federal government passed a law that changed the name officially to "Memorial Day" and put the celebration on the same day everywhere in the country.

Common Traditions

• Flags are flown at half-mast to honor the dead.
• Bugle players play a song called "Taps."
• The President of the United States puts a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. This is a grave where one soldier from most of America's wars is buried. These soldiers could not be identified when they died. The tomb is to honor those who die on the battlefield without glory and honor. It is to show that Americans believe all soldiers are heroes.
• Many cities hold parades.
• Small flags are placed on veterans' graves.
• Many families hold family reunions.
• At many major ports, small toy boats are filled with flowers and put out on the water to honor the sailors in the U.S. Navy.
• Many people put poppies on graves to remember those who died in World War I. Often poppies would cover old battlefields where soldiers were buried. They would usually appear the spring after the battle.

Important Vocabulary

Defendng (verb): protecting; keeping safe from danger

Decoration (noun): things that make something more beautiful

Cemeteries (noun): places where the dead are buried

Military (adjective): having to do with soldiers and war

Graves (noun): places where individual people are buried

Half-mast (adjective): when a flag is raised only halfway up the flagpole. This is to show repect and is only done when someone has died.

Veteran (noun): someone who was a soldier but isn't anymore

Ports (noun): places where ships come to land

Poppies (noun): a small red flower

Branches of the U.S.Military

• Army: soldiers who fight on land
• Navy: soldiers who fight on the ocean in ships
• Air Force: soldiers who fight in the air flying airplanes
• Marines: special soldiers who are trained to fight wherever they are needed
• Coast Guard: people who protect the coast around the United States
• Reserves: people who are soldiers part of the time but have other jobs too.
  

Memories Written by Native Speakers

One of my favorite holidays is Memorial Day. All of my brothers and sisters and their families come home to my parents' house in Maine. Early Monday morning, all of the men go fishing because it is the opening day of fishing season. Later that morning, we come home. After cleaning up, the whole family has a big lunch together. Then we all drive out to the cemetery where both of my grandfathers are buried. My dad tells us stories about them and the war in which they both died. He gets misty-eyed, as do the rest of us. We come home and look at old pictures of them and remember our other relatives that have passed on. By remembering the war in which they were involved and the freedom they were fighting for, we all appreciate the freedom we have today. (Luke, age 23, Maine)

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Last modified on April 27, 1999.