From the Civil War to mattress sales, Memorial Day is full of contradiction
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the
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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the
Declared a national holiday through an act of Congress in 1971, the tradition of honoring fallen soldiers on Memorial Day dates back to the Civil War.
Thousands of formerly enslaved people put flowers on Union soldiers’ graves on May 1, 1865. For well over a century after the Civil War, the significance of the day was buried.
Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members. But it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of retail discounts.
The holiday is observed in part by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence.