Memorial Day
2 min read
By: Indigo Bowser
The last Monday of May is reserved for Memorial Day. On Memorial Day we honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S.
The day was created years after the civil war but wasn’t a federal holiday until 1971. People would make tributes to the fallen soldiers by decorating their graves in the late 1860s. The origin of this tradition is unknown. One of the earliest recorded tributes was a month after the confederacy surrendered in 1865 by formerly enslaved people. Although the birthplace was said to be Waterloo, New York, in 1966. It was first called Decoration Day, and some people still call it that.
There are many traditions and rituals that people do. Parades are hosted all around America on Memorial Day. The biggest parades take place in New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. A popular thing that people do is going to visit cemeteries. Wearing the color red poppy is another way to honor fallen soldiers. It is more popular to see people taking the weekend off though. Doing things like going camping or barbecuing.
When asked what they do on Memorial Day Mia Umphrey, an Allied Health student, said, “My family normally has a cookout type thing.” When Rylie Jones, a cosmetology student, was asked what she does and she said, “My family has a huge cook out with all the best foods.”
Memorial Day is a holiday we should all celebrate. It’s important to remember the soldiers who died for our country. No matter if you go camping, a cookout, or however individuals honor the day, we should all take time to remember the fallen soldiers.
