I know you will definitely love this article “Memorial Day 2021” especially since it’s around the corner. Memorial Day it’s customary to spend time remembering and honoring the countless veterans who have served the United States throughout the country’s history.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
Memorial Day 2021
It will occur on Monday, May 31. Memorial Day was a response to the unprecedented carnage of the Civil War, in which a total of some 620,000 soldiers died. The loss of life and its effect on communities led to several spontaneous commemorations of the dead.
Memorial Day was long known as Decoration Day for the practice of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags. The name “Memorial Day” goes back to 1882, but the older name didn’t disappear until after World War II. It wasn’t until 1967 that federal law declared “Memorial Day” the official name.
On May 31, for many Americans, conjures up images of hamburgers, hot dogs, swimming pools, and summertime. But the last Monday in May serves, most importantly, as a time to honor those who died while fighting in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s a holiday steeped in somber American history and tradition.
When Is Memorial Day 2021?
If you are wondering when this year’s Memorial Day will be, worry not as it doesn’t change and it’s still the same date this year and will be the same date next year. Men and women who’ve served and sacrificed their lives in the U.S. Armed Forces are honored on Memorial Day on May 31.
History of Memorial Day – Memorial Day 2021
Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War.
But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date General Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day.
But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.
Memorial Day Traditions
Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war a tradition that began with a World War I poem.
On a less somber note, many people take weekend trips or throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because Memorial Day weekend the long weekend comprising the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day, and Memorial Day itself unofficially marks the beginning of summer. You can get more details about Memorial Day 2021 here.
