By: BHS Features Staff
May 21, 2025
Memorial Day, always celebrated on the last Monday of May, honors the brave men and women who have passed away serving this great country.
This holiday started during the Civil War when citizens honored the dead soldiers by placing flowers on their graves. The first recorded national celebration of Memorial Day was in 1868. During this time, the holiday was known as Decoration Day, but after World War I, it was changed to Memorial Day.
Later in 1971, this holiday became a federal holiday with the goal of visiting cemeteries to mourn the brave. Additionally, ceremonies and parades take place on Memorial Day, providing an opportunity for people to reflect without going to the cemetery to prevent reliving the trauma.
In the present, Memorial Day is celebrated with the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia, a tradition that began in 1921. In Paris, France, and London, England, during the 1920s, the idea for the tomb blossomed when the French and British buried their soldiers from World War I.
The tomb symbolizes all of the soldiers who have fallen but are unrecognized. Today, the grave holds three unknown soldiers, evolving to memorialize all of the fallen soldiers throughout American history.
Memorial Day is more than just a day off of school and having a cookout; it’s a time to honor the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.
As we are set to enjoy the long weekend ahead, let’s take a moment to reflect on the freedoms we enjoy because of the brave soldiers who did what it took to preserve our sovereignty.
May God bless The United States of America!
{Information sourced from Britannica, Defense, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.}
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 