United States Of America

Memorial Day In The U.S. And Just Another Monday In Most Other Countries

Today, May 31, 2010, we celebrate Memorial Day in the United States.

Memorial Day was originally called ‘Decoration Day’ and was created in remembrance for those who have died in the service of the United States of America.

First observed in 1868, the idea was to further reconcile after the Civil War that ended in 1865 and was expressed by laying flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.

After World War I the holiday became the day of remembering all who made the ultimate sacrifice in any war.

Today, there are more than 260,000 graves at Arlington.

The National Moment of Remembrance is at 3 p.m. local time. Simply pause for a moment of silence or listen to ‘Taps’ right here: