(Help our Veterans today by having Purple Heart Wine at your Memorial day celebration. Purple Heart Wine makes an annual donation to the Purple Heart Foundation- an organization dedicated to servicing the needs of military men, women and families)
Memorial Day weekend has become the American holiday that sprinkles summer zeal around delicious barbeques and desired pools. The three day weekend allows us to enjoy time with our loved ones and a well needed day off of work. Yet through all of the gust, we often forget the true significance of the holiday.
Memorial Day began after the Civil War and was originally known as decoration day. The civil war was a war that took many lives and because of it the US was required to establish national cemeteries. It was during this time that Americans across the nation began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers as springtime tributes. In the late 1860's General John A. Logan, a leader of Northern Civil War Veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance in late May.
"The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with
flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in
defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now
lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,”
he proclaimed. The date was chosen as such because it did not have any direct affiliation to any battle. As time went on the holiday evolved to include all veterans that passed during battle. The holiday continued to be observed on the 30th of May. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and as a result Memorial Day is now celebrated on the last Monday of May.