Key Vocabulary
- (to) Honor (verb): To show deep respect or admiration for someone or something.
- (to) Mourn (verb): To feel or express deep sadness, especially because of someone’s death.
- (to) Serve (verb): To perform duties for a person, group, or country—especially in the military.
- Communities (noun, plural): Groups of people living in the same area or having common interests.
- Graves (noun, plural): Places in the ground where people are buried after death.
- Recognition (noun): The act of acknowledging or honoring something or someone.
- Solemn (adjective): Serious, respectful, and often sad or reflective in tone or mood.
- Remembrance (noun): The act of remembering or honoring the memory of someone or something.
- Marks (verb): Indicates or shows something significant; to signal or commemorate an occasion.
- Unofficial (adjective): Not formally recognized or authorized, but commonly accepted or understood.
- Associated with (verb phrase): Connected or linked to something in meaning, use, or relationship.
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday for honoring and mourning military service members who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is observed annually on the last Monday of May.
Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday began on May 30, 1868, when communities decorated the graves of Civil War soldiers with flowers and flags. Although several towns claimed to be its birthplace, the holiday gained national recognition after General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic issued a proclamation establishing it, which lead to its nationwide observance.
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend for federal employees.
Note the riderless horse, with boots turned backwards. This is a symbol of a fallen soldier, who will never ride again.
Today, Memorial Day is observed across the country through visits to cemeteries and memorials, the placement of flags and flowers on military graves, and community parades and ceremonies that honor fallen service members.
While it remains a solemn day of remembrance, Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of summer, often associated with cookouts, retail sales, and travel.
