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Despite Memorial Day's reputation as a holiday associated with barbecues and picnics, the holiday's roots go much further back than you might have realized. Listed below are a few facts about Memorial Day that show its evolution over the 150 years it's been around. Memorial Day is credited with being born in many cities Waterloo, New York, was proclaimed the “Birthplace of Memorial Day,“ according to the Library of Congress, because a commemoration was held there in 1866. However, other towns commemorated the festival earlier, and the exact location of the first commemoration is unknown. The original name for the day was Decoration Day Flowers, flags, and other decorations were placed on the graves of dead troops on Decoration Day to commemorate the festival. Over time, Memorial Day came to be known as such. Logan founded the holiday in honor of the Union general The celebration was formalized by General Logan, who had been unofficially decorating the graves of Civil War soldiers. During the late revolt, he said, “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of planting flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of former comrades who sacrificed their lives in defense of their nation. Their bodies lie today in nearly every village, town, and hamlet cemetery in the nation.“ It wasn't until relatively recently that Memorial Day was celebrated on the “last Monday in May“ In his official introduction of the holiday, General Logan called for it to be observed on May 30. It was moved to the final Monday in May after the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971. Logan's choice of May 30 may have been a good one Because it wasn't an actual anniversary of a battle in particular, it was chosen. At least, that's how legend goes. Presidents and vice presidents are customarily asked to give speeches on this day. #memorialdayfacts #USA
