Memorial Day is a federal holiday set aside every year on the last Monday in May to remember, celebrate and honor those who gave their lives in America's wars.
The holiday began sometime during or after the American Civil War, depending on the part of the country one lived. Though not for Union soldiers, there is documentation that shows a group of ladies in Savannah, Ga., decorated the graves of Confederate dead at a cemetery there in 1862. This event was the first documented memorial service of that time, although the custom of decorating soldiers’ graves was ancient. The sheer number of dead in the Civil War, over 600,000, meant the custom would take on new cultural significance.
By the end of the Civil War, memorial services were being held in many parts of the country in honor of the war dead. Copying the earlier holiday that was now somewhat established in several southern and northern states, General John A. Logan, the commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, which was the veterans’ organization for Union Civil War veterans, issued a proclamation for an annual and national observation of a Decoration Day. The first day chosen for the ceremony was Saturday, May 30, 1868. The most likely reason the event was held in late May was the availability of flowers to decorate the graves, and the fact that May 30 was not the date of any major battle of the war.
The Northern States quickly adopted the holiday, and by 1890 it was an official holiday in every Northern state. In the South, the tradition of Decoration Day continued as well, but a number of dates were established depending on what part of the South one lived.
The National Park Service attributed the beginning of Memorial Day to a group of ladies in Columbus, Ga., in 1866, who while decorating the graves of Confederate dead, noticed the undecorated graves of Union soldiers buried nearby, and decorated those graves as well. Associations and women's groups were soon being founded throughout the South to memorialize the war dead. Permanent cemeteries were established, and ceremonies were held yearly, along with the building of monuments to honor the dead. Sometime in the early 20th C. the federal holiday was extended to honor all Americans who died in military service.
In the rural parts of the South, another tradition was taking shape alongside the honoring of the soldiers on Decoration Day. It soon became a tradition for families to honor all their dead. Most of the war dead in the South were buried in church and family cemeteries rather than large national cemeteries anyway, so the memorial services usually took place after church services in these communities. Before long dinners were served on the grounds, and families gathered to honor all their dead, and all graves in the cemeteries were being decorated along with the soldiers. Before long, family reunions were being held in conjunction with Decoration Day, so that the extended family could come together during that time of honor and reflection.
The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed through time, and was called Memorial Day for the first time in 1882. However, it wasn't until after World War II that Memorial Day became the most commonly used name for the holiday, and it wasn't officially declared the name until 1967. In 1968, four holidays were moved from their traditional dates, including Memorial Day, which was moved from its date of May 30 to a specified Monday in order to create a 3-day weekend. That law went into effect in 1971, and Memorial Day soon became the unofficial start to the summer season for most Americans.
There have been some efforts in recent years by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other veterans groups to get the holiday restored to its original date in order to highlight its original purpose, which was to honor those members of the Armed Forces who had given their lives in war. Some groups have claimed the 3-day weekend has undermined the very meaning of the day, and some lawmaker's have introduced legislation over the years in Congress to restore the original date.
In Magnolia and Columbia County, Memorial Day has been officially celebrated by a display of flags on the Courthouse Square, a memorial service at the Veteran's monument on the Courthouse, and last year by a program at the Columbia County Fair pavilion.
This year's Memorial Day Ceremonies 2015 will include a wreath dedication on the Courthouse lawn at the Veteran's Monument at 9:30 a.m., and a ceremony to honor Arkansas and Columbia County's fallen heroes at SAU's Story Arena on the Hwy. 82 Bypass beginning at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend. A free lunch for veterans will be served by The American Legion at 325 Legion Drive from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.