Why We Celebrate Memorial Day

image
Author: Lucas Eaves
Created: 27 May, 2013
Updated: 14 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Memorial Day is America's second favorite day for grilling after the 4th of July. But, why we celebrate Memorial Day is much more than just a day for BBQ and sales.

Memorial Day was established in 1868 to honor those who died during the Civil War. It was originally called Decoration Day because people decorated soldiers graves.The holiday has since been extended to honor all Americans who died in military service.

In 1968, Memorial Day became a national holiday and its date was changed from May 30 to the last Monday of May to create a three-day weekend.

The following infographic, created by Low VA Loans, presents the different ways Americans have traditionally paid respect to the military men and women who gave their life for the country.

Credit: Low VA Loans

why we celebrate memorial day

Latest articles

Dark image of a hundred-dollar bill.
Trump's Spending Freeze: Why Taming the Debt Is So Hard
Last week, the Trump Administration sparked confusion across government agencies with a memo freezing federal funding. The confusion deepened when they rescinded the memo 45 hours later....
03 Feb, 2025
-
1 min read
voting booths
Report Finds Ranked Choice Voting Is Working in Utah and Voters Like It
In late 2024, the Herbert Institute at Utah Valley University released two reports on Utah’s ranked choice voting (RCV) pilot program. In the reports, Professors Alan Parry and John Kidd and co-authors Michael Erickson and Addison Stott capture the high level of support for RCV among Utah voters, as well as the strong foundation that RCV has in mathematics. ...
30 Jan, 2025
-
3 min read
3 i voted stickers
Washington State Reformers Testify in Favor of Pro-Ranked Choice Voting Bill
This morning, KIRO News Radio reporter Matt Markovich had exciting news for political reformers: Washington lawmakers have introduced and held their first public hearing on House Bill 1448, which allows local governments across the state to adopt ranked choice voting (RCV)....
29 Jan, 2025
-
2 min read