The Meaning of Memorial Day

Baylie Kress 
Staff Writer 
    In the year of 1866, Memorial Day was celebrated on May 5th instead of its usual occurrence on May 30th. The reason for this difference was simple: the Civil War. There were about 60,000 men and women that died during the war. It was about a four year long war between the north and  south of the United States. Both sides of the war were fighting and the soldiers wanted to put flowers on their graves. Americans typically do this in May because of all the flowers that bloom during that month.
    The main reason everyone celebrates Memorial Day is because of the Decorations Day that was named before Memorial Day. Before Memorial Day, the Decorations Day was just an opportunity to put flowers down at people's graves. President Lyndon B. Johnson made it the holiday because everyone who lost people in the war came and visited them at their graves. Johnson thought it would be a fitting, honorable holiday to commemorate the Civil War. It all started in 1968 when the soldiers decided to have a Memorial Day. The traditions they had were parades and they would give out speeches for the soldiers who died and put flowers on their gravestones and have flags on people's gravestones as well.
    The reason everyone celebrates Memorial Day is to celebrate and honor the people who fought in the war for the United States. There were about one million men and women who died. This is why it was on may 30th because they wanted the date to be close to when the war concluded. This is why everyone celebrates Memorial Day because it is for the people who lost in the war and who fought for us in the war and everyone the people who lost their family members can go visit who they lost and go put flowers on their graves.