It is 2:30 pm on Friday May, 25 and everyone is anxiously waiting for school to end and Memorial Day weekend to start. For some, Memorial Day weekend means a trip down to the Jersey shore. Some people spend their weekend lounging at the pool or attending barbeques and parades. Memorial Day is also often labeled as the unofficial start of summer.

However, Memorial Day has a much deeper meaning than most people realize.

The official purpose of Memorial Day is to honor and remember all of the soldiers that have died in war. At the end of the Civil War, it was decided that  memorial services and displays would need to be created in order to honor and commemorate all of the dead Union and Confederate soldiers. The first known celebration of a Memorial Day type ceremony was held in Charleston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865. It was created by freed slaves who wanted to honor over 250 Union soldiers who had died in captivity near the city. The event was deemed a success after it attracted over 10,000 people who laid flowers all across the burial site of the soldiers.

While this event kick started the tradition of yearly ceremonies, it did not directly lead to an officially organized Memorial Day across the United States. The north and south would continue to recognize different dates of Memorial Day up until 1971.

On May 30, 1868, only three years after the first Memorial Day in Charleston, the north celebrated the event and called it Decoration Day. Like the first incarnation, this day was reserved to remember the Civil War deceased through speeches and visits to gravesites. By 1890, every state in the north had made Decoration Day an official holiday.

On the other hand, the south started holding Memorial Day type services in 1866. One major difference was the lack of a set date. Many southern states had their own dates for the day which ranged from April to June. One popular day to celebrate was on June 3, the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Even though the southern version of Memorial Day had no official date, like the north, the purpose was to honor and pay respects to the war dead.

Despite the popularity of these days of remembrance, it would be nearly 100 years until the United States Congress did anything to make a national holiday. The process began in 1967 which marked the first year that the name “Memorial Day” actually became the official name of the holiday. In 1968, Congress passed a law to make Memorial Day the last Monday in the month of May. Finally, in 1971, this law was put into action which created the present day Memorial Day as we know it.

Since the inception of Memorial Day in 1971, the holiday has grown. Each year, millions participate in town services, parades, and other various events. After the ceremonies conclude, many people enjoy the rest of their Monday by watching baseball, golf, or the Indianapolis 500 or by throwing a barbeque for friends and family. Many see Memorial Day as a great time to relax and have fun with family and friends but it is also a time to honor and remember those who have fallen for our country.