National Holiday

Last weekend was the nation’s time of observing our fallen military personnel.  For many others, it was a time of visiting the resting place of their loved ones.

My grandmother will be turning 95 at the end of June.  The past few years my daughter and I have taken her to Coeur d’Alene and to the Northside of Spokane to visit three different cemeteries and the family members buried in each.

This year she was feeling a bit under the weather (nothing alarming) so my daughter and I went to the cemeteries on the Northside of Spokane for her.

The sight never fails to amaze me.  Flags waving in the breeze, flowers adorning many graves and the cemeteries bustling with families stopping to pay tribute to loved ones.

Memorial Day

My daughter asked me about the meaning of Memorial Day.  A tradition our family has is taking flowers to the cemetery of those we love; however, those we love did not serve in the military.

Memorial Day is in honor of those in service presently, past and deceased.  It was first celebrated on May 5, 1868 for Union soldiers who had died in battle.  Throughout the years, the tradition gained popularity; however, it was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington's Birthday, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.

My family will continue our special tradition; however, my daughter's question was a great reminder of our "3-day weekend" and what it really means.