The Meaning of a Day: Memorial Day
For many of us, Memorial Day has come to represent just an extra day off work. It signals the end of the school year and the beginning of summer (and higher gas prices). It’s a chance for us to go to the beach, have a picnic, visit family or take advantage of a huge sale at the mall. Although these activities reflect our society today, none of them have anything to do with the intended meaning of the day.
Memorial Day was set aside that people might come together and honor those who gave their life in service of their country. Originally called Decoration Day, it was widely observed for the first time May 30, 1868, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:
The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
In an interesting aside, although Southern tradition had inspired General Logan to create Memorial Day, many Southerners actually refused to honor the holiday until after World War II when the observance was extended to include Americans who had fallen in any war not just the Civil War.
Given the date of the first celebration, why don’t we celebrate on the 30th every year? The observance of Memorial Day shifted to the last Monday in May in June 28, 1968 when the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill. The bill moved three holidays including Memorial Day, to a specified Monday in order to create convenient three-day weekends. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), advocate returning the holiday to its original fixed date. THE VFW stated in 2002 that “changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt this has contributed to the general publics’ nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”
Some would say that the “nonchalant observance” of Memorial Day has more to do with easy living than when the day is celebrated. Maybe it’s just the natural result of being a society that is far removed from the realities of war. Others might claim that the indifference is due to the unpopularity of the current war. Can you celebrate the death of brave men and women even if you don’t believe that the war they fought in was a just one? It’s a question we should ask ourselves because no matter what our feeling about the war in Iraq, the fact remains that 4000 plus soldiers have given their lives since its inception. Regardless of our feelings, perhaps this Memorial Day we could all take sometime to reflect on what war in general does and what the present war is doing. At least then we’d be moving a little closer to the real meaning of the day.
By: Laurie Scott