13. Memorial Day – A Holiday to Remember Fallen Soldiers
Memorial Day is a United States holiday to
the men and women who have died while
in the armed forces. The armed forces include
branches of the U.S. military. Those branches are
, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Memorial
is a federal holiday, which means government offices,
, post offices, and schools are closed. Memorial Day
always observed on the last Monday of May.
Day has its roots in the U.S. Civil
when a holiday, Decoration Day, was established to
both Union and Confederate soldiers who died. On
Day people used to "decorate" the graves of
soldiers with flags and flowers. The name Memorial
became more widely used after World War II
the late 1940s. However, the holiday wasn't officially
Memorial Day until 1967.
Memorial Day is commemorated
ceremonies in cemeteries across the country. The most
-known one is held in Arlington National Cemetery near
D.C. Arlington is a military cemetery, meaning only
personnel are buried there. Volunteers place U.S. flags
military graves at Arlington and other national cemeteries.
are also parades in honor of fallen service
held in different towns and cities. Another Memorial
tradition is flying the U.S. flag at half
until noon, meaning it is flown at half
normal height. This is considered a sign of
. The flag is raised to its full height
noon as a sign that the military will
up despite the loss. There is also a
Memorial Day concert that takes place on the
of the U.S. Capital.
Memorial Day is also
as the unofficial start of the summer season.
beaches and pools open up for Memorial Day
. Many people also host barbecues on Memorial Day