For those that do not know of Memorial Day in the USA:
Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May.[1] Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War
to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. (Southern
ladies organizations and southern schoolchildren had decorated
Confederate graves in Richmond and other cities during the Civil War,
but each region had its own date. Most dates were in May.) By the 20th
century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have
died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women
who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.[2] As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor
those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an
American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.[3]
By the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more
general expressions of memory, as people visited the graves of their
deceased relatives in church cemeteries, whether they had served in the
military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to
shopping, family gatherings, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national
media events such as the Indianapolis 500 auto race, held since 1911 on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.[4]
Annual Decoration Days for particular cemeteries are held on a Sunday
in late spring or early summer in some rural areas of the American
South, notably in the mountains. In cases involving a family graveyard
where remote ancestors as well as those who were deceased more recently
are buried, this may take on the character of an extended family reunion
to which some people travel hundreds of miles. People gather on the
designated day and put flowers on graves and renew contacts with kinfolk
and others. There often is a religious service and a "dinner on the
ground," the traditional term for a potluck
meal in which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or
tablecloths on the grass. It is believed that this practice began before
the American Civil War and thus may reflect the real origin of the
"memorial day" idea. See Jabbour and Jabbour (listed below).
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day
And I share this Patriotic Art by Tracy!
