A friend and I were discussing Memorial Day and he commented, “You know Memorial Day was first created to remember the soldiers that died in the Civil War. ”
And no, I didn’t know that.
So I googled. He was right. How did I not know this?
When was the first Memorial Day? Well the first huge gathering to honor fallen soldiers was on May 1, 1865.
According to professor David Blight of Yale University’s History Department, the very first Memorial Day was observed by former black slaves at the Washington Race Course in Charleston, S.C., at the end of the Civil War.
Read more: Cleveland Daily Banner – The first Memorial Day
The race course was used as a massive grave for Union soldiers and on this day over 10,000 freed black slaves gathered to honor their memory. This was called a “Decoration Day” since they all decorated the graves. After this Decoration Day, many more decoration days happened across the country to honor the fallen Civil War soldiers.
What I found interesting was that in our country after the Civil War, it was more of a way to honor the Union soldiers and the soldiers from the south refused to celebrate!
As far as being a national holiday is concerned, it was celebrated in many states at different times across the nation, but wasn’t an official US holiday until 1968. So this is a pretty new holiday.
So Memorial Day began as a way to honor the soldiers that died to bring unity to our country in the Civil War and today it is used to honor all soldiers that have died protecting our nation. Others still observe it as a Decorating Day, they take this day as an opportunity to lay flowers on the graves of their loved ones.
And others – like me – 0nly view it as a time to take off work and enjoy grilled steaks and potato salad.
Not today. Today I take time to say Thank You!!
Just wanted to drop by and say that I wish you had an awesome Memorial day weekend!!
Thanks Anne! It wasn’t half bad. I stayed home with my kids and babysat a friend’s children. I think the kids had a BLAST! We did lots of crafts and such and now I am waiting anxiously for my husband to get home (I hate 13 hour workdays!)
Hope yours was wonderful too!
I didn’t know when it began either, thanks for sharing!
*phew* Glad I wasn’t the only one! LOL
Thanks for sharing. I didn’t know the history either. I’m gonna use some of your post to explains Memorial Day to my 5yo! 🙂
LOL! Thanks Jen! I actually simplified it a LOT so your 5 yo should understand pretty easily. As I was researching I read a lot more detail. Amazing facts, but I wanted this to be quick and easy to understand.
I never knew about decorating day! Thanks for sharing!
How funny! I put a little blurb about how Memorial Day started, too!
Hope your day is blessed!
If I believed in reincarnation I always tell people I lived back during the civil war. AND I didn’t know this! Thanks for the history lesson! Great info!
Oh Chele – I bet you love those fancy dresses! LOL!!
It’s good to know the history behind what we celebrate today. Thanks for sharing that
That is pretty neat that the freed black slaves showed up to decorate the graves. I bet that had to be an awesome thing to see.
I get chills when I picture it! 10,000? AMAZING!!
I always wonder how holidays and observances begin.