Memorial Day

Aldeth the Foppish Idiot · Tue, 29th May '12, 7:21pm

While I'm fully aware that the purpose of Memorial Day is to remember soldiers who have died in service of their country, does anyone know why the date is set as the last Monday in May?

For most holidays, there's some reason why they occur on a particular date. Like the current Veteran's Day was formerly known as Armistice Day, and it's November 11th because that was the date of the Armistice ending WWI. So there's a reason for it. I would like to think that the date chosen for Memorial Day wasn't arbitrary (did they just pick it because it was a good time for a cookout?), but at the same time I do not recall any major military event ending on May 30th. (It's observed the last Monday in May, but historically it's actual date was May 30th.) Memorial Day started after the Civil War, but the Civil War didn't end in May - it ended in April. So does anyone know why?

Wiki tells me that observation of the holiday started in 1868, and it was originally known as Decoration Day, but since it was meant to honor all of those who died in service of their country that they didn't want to pick a date that was an anniversary of a major battle or the end of a major war. While such a criterion would explain why certain dates were NOT selected, it does not explain why May 30th was. Certainly in 1868 when the only major wars that had been fought in the US were the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, that there were other candidates for the date - in May alone - never mind that there seems to be no particular reason why May was chosen to begin with.

T2Bruno · Tue, 29th May '12, 7:41pm

Linked is the VA Memorial Day History page. You can also go to usmemorialday.org for additional info.

Just a couple of quick comments from the page (and other pages as well) ... Memorial Day is officially on May 30th -- it is observed on the last Monday in May as part of the National Holiday Act. It is believed the end of May was chosen due to the availability of flowers to decorate the graves (as you mentioned the original holiday was called "Decoration Day").

Blades of Vanatar · Tue, 29th May '12, 7:46pm

Wiki says...

"The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882.[27] It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967.[28] On June 28, 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend.[29] The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.[29] After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress's change of date within a few years.
Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the unofficial beginning of summer. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocate returning to the original date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address:

Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.[30]

Since 1987, Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has introduced a measure to return Memorial Day to its traditional date.[31]"

Tue, 29th May '12, 7:21pm	#1
Aldeth the Foppish Idiot SPS Account Holder Mod Reviewer Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Froggster Champion! Gold Miner Champion! Straw Game Champion! Tubin Champion! Worm Catcher Champion! Join Date: May 2003 Location: MD Posts: 12,327 Like: 26 Liked 47 Times in 40 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 30,034 Level: 46 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 88.91% Daily Activity 3.42% Weekly Activity 144.88% Monthly Activity 103.34% Achievements	Memorial Day While I'm fully aware that the purpose of Memorial Day is to remember soldiers who have died in service of their country, does anyone know why the date is set as the last Monday in May? For most holidays, there's some reason why they occur on a particular date. Like the current Veteran's Day was formerly known as Armistice Day, and it's November 11th because that was the date of the Armistice ending WWI. So there's a reason for it. I would like to think that the date chosen for Memorial Day wasn't arbitrary (did they just pick it because it was a good time for a cookout?), but at the same time I do not recall any major military event ending on May 30th. (It's observed the last Monday in May, but historically it's actual date was May 30th.) Memorial Day started after the Civil War, but the Civil War didn't end in May - it ended in April. So does anyone know why? Wiki tells me that observation of the holiday started in 1868, and it was originally known as Decoration Day, but since it was meant to honor all of those who died in service of their country that they didn't want to pick a date that was an anniversary of a major battle or the end of a major war. While such a criterion would explain why certain dates were NOT selected, it does not explain why May 30th was. Certainly in 1868 when the only major wars that had been fought in the US were the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, that there were other candidates for the date - in May alone - never mind that there seems to be no particular reason why May was chosen to begin with.
	__________________ "I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it." - Mark Twain Last edited by Aldeth the Foppish Idiot; Tue, 29th May '12 at 7:46pm.

Tue, 29th May '12, 7:41pm	#2
T2Bruno SPS Account Holder The only source of knowledge is experience Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Chicago -- far west suburbs. Posts: 9,320 Like: 20 Liked 82 Times in 62 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 22,278 Level: 41 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 58.89% Daily Activity 3.42% Weekly Activity 115.52% Monthly Activity 62.72% Achievements Awards	Linked is the VA Memorial Day History page. You can also go to usmemorialday.org for additional info. Just a couple of quick comments from the page (and other pages as well) ... Memorial Day is officially on May 30th -- it is observed on the last Monday in May as part of the National Holiday Act. It is believed the end of May was chosen due to the availability of flowers to decorate the graves (as you mentioned the original holiday was called "Decoration Day").
	__________________ “I have little patience with scientists who take a board of wood, look for its thinnest part, and drill a great number of holes where drilling is easy.” Last edited by T2Bruno; Tue, 29th May '12 at 7:56pm.

Tue, 29th May '12, 7:46pm	#3
Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,563 Like: 38 Liked 42 Times in 30 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 9,800 Level: 29 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 56.71% Daily Activity 3.42% Weekly Activity 130.2% Monthly Activity 111.35% Achievements Awards	Wiki says... "The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882.[27] It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967.[28] On June 28, 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend.[29] The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.[29] After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress's change of date within a few years. Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the unofficial beginning of summer. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocate returning to the original date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address: Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.[30] Since 1987, Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has introduced a measure to return Memorial Day to its traditional date.[31]"
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