When it started in 1866, Memorial Day was called Decoration Day. It was a day to honor those who died while fighting in the Civil War. On Decoration Day, people would decorate the graves of soldiers with flowers.
In 1868, General John Logan declared that Decoration Day should be held on May 30. That day may have been picked because it is when flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
In 1882, people began to refer to Decoration Day as Memorial Day. That name became more and more popular. However, it was not until many years later, in 1967, that the name of the holiday was officially changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day. In 1968, one year after the name change, Memorial Day was changed from May 30 to the last Monday in May so that the holiday would be a three-day weekend.
Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring those who died in battle, fighting for their country. Veterans Day, always on November 11, is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served in the military.
Source: worksheetsplus.com/Reading/memDayWhatIs.html What is Memorial Day. How is it different from Veterans Day?
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