The federal holidays of Memorial Day and Veterans Day are both designed to celebrate members of the United States military, but there are a few key differences. Memorial Day, which took shape after the Civil War, is considered a day to honor those killed in or as a result of their participation in battle. Veterans Day, which materialized at the end of the First World War, is a day to honor all service men and women, but especially those who remain with us to share their experiences.
History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day began as “Decorating Day,” a time designated for decorating the headstones of many of the approximately 620,000 people killed in the Civil War.
It’s unclear when or where this act of commemoration first took place: About 25 communities were originally linked to Memorial Day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, with such an event believed to have taken place as early as October 1864 in Boalsburg. , Pennsylvania.
New York became the first state to designate Decoration Day as a holiday in 1873, and by 1890 all the other former states in the Union had followed suit. At the end of World War I, the focus shifted from honoring those killed on the battlefields of the Civil War to all the men and women who died fighting for the United States. In the years that followed, the holiday became more widely known as Memorial Day.
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Uniform Holiday Bill, which consolidated several federal holidays at the end of three-day weekends in hopes of boosting travel and commerce. Accordingly, Memorial Day has been celebrated on the fourth Monday in May since 1971. Unofficially, it marks the start of the summer season.
READ MORE: One of the first Memorial Day ceremonies was hosted by liberated African Americans
Famous Memorial Day Quotes
“We do not know a promise made by these men, an engagement they gave, a word they spoke; but we know that they summed up and perfected, by a supreme act, the highest virtues of men. and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made their patriotism and virtue immortal.” —James Garfield
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women serving our country can never be repaid. They have earned our eternal gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” —Harry S. Truman
Remembrance Day Traditions
With schools and businesses closed for the holidays, many communities hold parades for service men and women as part of annual Memorial Day celebrations. Some people wear poppies as a symbol of lives lost in service.
The national commemoration of the holiday at Arlington National Cemetery reflects the holiday’s oldest tradition: the headstones of those interred are decorated with American flags, while a wreath is placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, flags should be lowered from sunrise to noon and then hoisted at the top of the stick until sunset.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, which encourages Americans to suspend Memorial Day activities at 3 p.m. local time to reflect on those who have died serving the country.
READ MORE: The origins of the poppy in WWI as a symbol of remembrance
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History of Veterans Day
Although the First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, it was the cessation of fighting between the Allied forces and Germany at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 that came symbolize the end of the Great War. .
President Woodrow Wilson later proclaimed the first “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, an occasion to be commemorated with parades and the temporary suspension of activities at 11 a.m. At that time, the governors of six states had already declared the holiday. .
Congress officially recognized the annual observance of November 11 in 1926, and in 1938 Armistice Day became a legal holiday in the United States, dedicated to the promise of world peace.
By the end of the next decade, however, public sentiment towards the celebration of peace was shifting towards an acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by the more than 16 million Americans who had served in World War II. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the first official “National Veterans Day” event was held in Birmingham, Alabama in 1947.
The Uniform Holiday Bill of 1968 moved Veterans Day from November 11 to the fourth Monday in October. However, the change was met with resistance from traditionalists who saw the date as inseparable from observance rites. Following congressional hearings to discuss the issue, President Gerald Ford in 1975 reinstated the holiday’s original date of November 11, from 1978.
Famous Veterans Day Quotes
“For us in America, the reflections on Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who have died in the service of the country and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing of which it set us free and because of the opportunity he gave America to show her sympathy for peace and justice in the councils of nations…” – Woodrow Wilson
“Veterans know the price of freedom better than anyone, for they have suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have earned for us.” -Ronald Reagan
“The soldier prays above all for peace, because it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” —Douglas MacArthur
READ MORE: 15 quotes honoring American veterans
Veterans Day Traditions
Like Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a day marked by parades and other events to thank the contributions of serving men and women, though its later date on the calendar often limits participation in outdoor activities. .
The official ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery also bears some similarities to one held earlier in the year for Memorial Day. Beginning at 11 a.m. sharp, the event includes a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns, before continuing inside the Memorial Amphitheater with featured speakers and the Presentation of the Colors.
