Some say it began when former slaves took flowers to the graves of those who died during the Civil War. Others believe it was Southern women who had always “decorated” graves of family members and began including the graves of soldiers from both the North and South that were otherwise left untended. Whoever started the observance in the U.S. it must certainly have stemmed from ancient traditions of placing offerings on the graves of dead ancestors in cultures around the world.
What we now know as Memorial Day was long referred to as Decoration Day and was celebrated for many years on May 30. It wasn’t until 1991 that the date was officially changed to the last Monday in May and has been altered over time to include many activities unrelated to the remembrance of those who gave their lives in defense of our country. For many years, the observance honored only those who had died during the Civil War, but after World War I (hoped to be the war to end all wars) it included soldiers from other wars.
Many unrelated activities (most of them frivolous or political) have been tacked onto what was once a solemn acknowledgment of the ultimate sacrifice;. In 1911, when the day was still observed on May 30th, the first Indianapolis 500 race attracted a crowd of 80,000 people, surpassing all attendance records for automobile races. By then, the public, taking advantage of what was rapidly becoming a festive holiday, was enjoying picnics, parades and family reunions. In the 1880’s President Cleveland had caused cries of indignation when it was revealed that he had spent the day on a fishing trip. Politics, as usual poking its persistent nose into places it didn’t belong, was responsible for political speeches following flag-waving parades. (I remember just such a performance in my hometown sometime around 1950, when a large crowd gathered near the old cannon on the lawn of the Marion County courthouse.) By that time, it had become a general practice to visit and decorate all graves, whether military-related or not, and that practice has prevailed to this day, most people totally innocent of the fact that Memorial Day is intended for the remembrance of fallen soldiers only.
I feel fortunate in that there are no fallen soldiers in my family to be remembered on Memorial Day. My father, uncles, husband and brothers-in-law and a niece have served in the different branches of the nation’s military during wartime and more peaceful eras, but with no fatalities and only a couple Purple Hearts, they all came safely home again.
The red poppy flower has long been associated with veterans of wars, beginning in England during WWI. The poem In Flanders’ Field was written by a Canadian, Major John McCrae, after a friend died in the Battle of Ypres. The poem describes poppies growing near the graves. An American, Moina Michael, was impressed by the image and considered the poppy to be a fitting symbol of the sacrifices of soldiers. She sold corsages of poppies to raise money for veterans in need. Poppies became symbols of the sacrifices of war and the loss of young lives. They appeared on recruitment posters and posters reminding people to buy war bonds. On November 11th, the British conduct a Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal to raise funds to help veterans in need. The American Legion also conducts a find-raising Poppy Day, approved by Congress to be the Friday before Memorial Day.
November 11th, once known as Armistice Day, observed in many countries as the end of WWI, is now officially Veterans Day in the U.S. It is a day to honor all living veterans, men and women, who have served in any branch of the military at any time, during peacetime as well as wartime. It is an official National Holiday. It is not meant to be a remembrance for those who gave their lives in defense of our country; that is observed on Memorial Day. The Armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and we sincerely hope that somebody doesn’t start a campaign to change it to a convenient Monday for the sake of another long weekend.