What Year Was Decoration Day Established

On the first decoration day general james garfield made a speech at arlington national cemetery after which 5 000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20 000 civil war.

What year was decoration day established. Decoration day was observed in both the north and. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on memorial day to honor and. The law went into effect in 1971 and legally declared memorial day a federal holiday official memorial day ceremonies call for the president of the united states to lay. The holiday is now observed on the last monday of may having been observed on may 30 from 1868 to 1970.

Originally known as decoration day this was a day for americans to commemorate the memory of departed soldiers by adorning their graves with flowers flags and banners. Memorial day traces its roots back the tradition of decoration day in the 1860s in which the graves of war dead were decorated with flowers. Originally called decoration day from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers wreaths and flags memorial day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country. Decoration day has been celebrated for hundreds of years in the american south.

The illustrations were done by steven brodner an satiric artist and illustrator. Three years after the civil war ended on may 5 1868 the head of an organization of union veterans the grand army of the republic gar established decoration day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. The l a times published an illustrated history about the first decoration day in sunday s paper may 24 2015 page a31 it was a whole page presentation. Learn about the rituals and traditions of this holiday that may have inspired the modern day observance known as memorial day.