"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." Exodus 12:14 KJV. God wants us to set aside a time to remember. We must focus on blessing from Him, loved ones that have passed on before us, and our fine men and women of our Armed Forces who have served fought and died for our freedom. God Bless America and her troops that defend Her.
Facts about Memorial Day.
1 It started during the Civil War in America. 620,000 people lost their lives for both the North and the South. We honor them.
2. General Logan made it an official holiday. "Gen. Logan, the speaker at the Carbondale gathering, also was commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans. On May 5, 1868, he issued General Orders No. 11, which set aside May 30, 1868, "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" David Holzel @ CNN.com.
3.It was originally known as Declaration Day. The name Memorial Day popped up in 1882. It became a Federal Holiday in 1967 and was from that day forward known as Memorial Day.
4. The holiday is a franchise. "Our holidays were enacted state by state. New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day a legal holiday, in 1873. Most Northern states had followed suit by the 1890s. The states of the former Confederacy were unenthusiastic about a holiday memorializing those who, in Gen. Logan's words, "united to suppress the late rebellion." The South didn't adopt the May 30 Memorial Day until after World War I, by which time its purpose had been broadened to include those who died in all the country's wars." writes Holzel. Talk about a little bitter.
In 1971, the Monday Holiday Law shifted Memorial Day from May 30, to the last Monday of the month. Hallmark ranks it righ up there with Christmas, Mother's Day and Birthdays. McDonald's and J.D. Byrider do not have the corner on the franchise market!
5. Memorial Day has its customs. In General Orders No. 11 it is stated that "in this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed," but over time several customs and symbols became associated with the holiday.
It is customary on Memorial Day to fly the flag at half staff until noon, and then raise it to the top of the staff until sunset. we learn something new every day.
6. Each Memorial Day is a little different No question that Memorial Day is a solemn event. Still, don't feel too guilty about doing something frivolous, like having barbecue, over the weekend. After all, you weren't the one who instituted the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911. That credit goes to Indianapolis businessman Carl Fisher. The winning driver that day was Ray Harroun, who averaged 74.6 mph and completed the race in 6 hours and 42 minutes.
Gravitas returned on May 30, 1922, when the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated. Supreme Court chief justice (and former president) William Howard Taft dedicated the monument before a crowd of 50,000 people, segregated by race, and which included a row of Union and Confederate veterans. Also attending was Lincoln's surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln.
And in 2000, Congress established a National Moment of Remembrance, which asks Americans to pause for one minute at 3 p.m. in an act of national unity. The time was chosen because 3 p.m. "is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday."
Take time this weekend to reflect on all the great things we have been Blessed with in America. Unlike our schools and our Politicians let's remember,
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
No comments:
Post a Comment