What was memorial day formerly called

For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue. This national event galvanized efforts to honor and remember fallen soldiers that began with local observances at burial grounds in several towns throughout the United States following the end of the Civil War, such as the May 1, gathering in Charleston, South Carolina organized by freed slaves to pay tribute and give proper burial to Union troops.

In , New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. By the late s, many more cities and communities observed Memorial Day, and several states had declared it a legal holiday. Several southern states, however, officially commemorate an additional, separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead, sometimes referred to as a Confederate Memorial Day: January 19 in Texas; third Monday in Jan.

The Uniform Holiday Act of moved the holiday from Nov. But in President Gerald Ford returned the holiday to its original November date, due to the significance in marking the the end of the war. In contrast, Memorial Day specifically honors those who have died in U. It was originally created to honor soldiers who fought in the Civil War, but like Veterans Day, was also later expanded to include those who died in all wars.

It was the day when people decorated the graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War — both those who fought for the Union and for the Confederacy. The annual tradition of decorating fallen soldiers' graves with flags and flowers is believed to have originated in Waterloo, N. That tradition is still carried on today all over the country. The change went into effect in The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday. We hope that you have a wonderful holiday, while also remembering the reason behind it.

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