We celebrate Memorial Day here in the United States every year, remembering those who served and gave their lives in the name of military service. It isn’t entirely clear where or when this tradition started, as many different communities have given thanks to the fallen throughout history.
In fact, the United States is one of the last on board for this tradition. The ancient Greeks and Romans held annual days of remembrance for their soldiers and loved ones. Each year, they would decorate their graves with flowers and throw festivals and feasts in their honor.
In Athens, public funerals for fallen soldiers were held after each battle. They would place the remains of the dead on display for public mourning. And then, a funeral procession would take them to their place of rest to the city’s most prestigious cemetery called Kerameikos.
The ancient celebrations have been numerous throughout history. Here, in the United States, some records show that the first Memorial Day took place in Charleston, SC. It was organized by a group of formerly enslaved people less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865.
But, the Memorial Day celebration didn’t go national until 1966, when the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day.
No matter where it started, here it is.
Memorial Day, a tribute and remembrance to those who lost their lives during military service. Let us always remember. War, and Peace.
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“Sharing tales of those we’ve lost is how we keep from really losing them.”
― Mitch Albom, For One More Day
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“When we die, we will turn into songs, and we will hear each other and remember each other.”
― Rob Sheffield, Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time
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To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
— Thomas Campbell
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The honoring.
