Memorial Day- Have We Forgotten What It’s Really About?

Memorial Day, the unofficial kick-off of summer, a fun family weekend away, sales, festivals, barbecues, and best of all, a three day weekend! These are the things that we seem to think of when we talk about Memorial Day. They are great, don't get me wrong, but have we forgotten what Memorial Day really is?

The National WWII Museum did a study and found that Eighty percent of all Americans confess to having “little” or “some” knowledge of the holiday. Just 20% claim to be “very familiar” with the day’s purpose, which is to honor those who have died while fighting the nation’s wars. We as American's have also used this day to remember loved ones lost who were not in wars, but it seems as though this tradition is slowly going by the wayside as well. Here are some facts about the last Monday of May to refresh our memories of what Memorial Day is REALLY all about:

• Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, and began in 1868. It was a day to clean and decorate the graves of soldiers lost in the Civil War.
• In 1971 Memorial Day became an official holiday on the last Monday in May every year.
• In 2000 the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed by Congress. The resolution asks that all Americans voluntarily and informally observe their own moment of remembrance and respect at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.

Because the trend of people "forgetting" Memorial Day, the National WWII Museum has created a website giving ideas on how you can help get the holiday back to it's roots. Check it out here. Some other websites that may be of intrest to you are here:

• www.mapthefallen.org: A website to honor the men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan using Google Earth to link to memorial websites dedicated to fallen soldiers.
• http://thewall-usa.com: A very interactive website that allows you to search and learn all about those on the famous Vietnam Memorial Wall. 
• www.archives.gov/veterans: The National Archives and Records Administration’s Veterans’ Service Records site offers a searchable records database and genealogy tools for finding deceased veterans.

Have fun doing whatever it is that you have planned this Memorial Day weekend, but also take the time to remember someone, the true reason for the holiday.