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On May 5, 1868, 3 years after the Civil War, the head of an organization of Union veterans, the Grand Army of the Republic established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.
The first large observance for Decoration Day was held in 1868 at the Arlington National Cemetery.
Decoration Day, also called Memorial Day in the modern day, is the day Americans honor those who have lost their lives fighting in the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force.
The National Moment of Remembrance was created in December of 2000 by Congress. Americans are "required" to pause at 3 PM on Memorial Day and take a moment of silence to honor the fallen.
Today, Washington, DC, Chicago and New York are just a couple of the major cities that celebrate Memorial Day with some of the largest parades.
So while you enjoy your day off, please remember all those who lost their lives fighting for the USA.
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