This past weekend, New England was blessed with a bout of beautiful weather just in time for the holiday. Rhode Island and the rest of the United States observed Memorial Day on May 27. All non-essential businesses and government offices closed their doors. Schools excused students from their classes. Parades and ceremonies, often followed by family cookouts, took place from coast-to-coast. With so much excitement, it is easy to lose sight of what we’re truly commemorating. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “memorial” means something that keeps remembrance alive. So much of our Catholic tradition is rooted in remembrance. We keep our past alive because it shaped our faith. Memorial Day isn’t just about remembering our country’s past, but about remembering the individuals in our past who died for the privileges we enjoy today. But just how do we honor those we’ve lost?
The practice of laying flowers on a loved one’s grave dates all the way back to ancient times. It can be seen in cultures around the world. The Greeks believed that if flowers grew atop the gravesites of warriors, their souls had found peace in the next life. Romans believed that spirits lingered and would take the flowers as a sign that they were remembered and held in high regard. Even in early Catholicism, flowers were strewn across graves to commemorate All Souls’ Day as a part of the blessing. In the wake of tragedy, it is one way we show our reverence to the dead.
The Civil War finally ended in the spring of 1865 when the flowers were blooming. With some 620,000 soldiers killed and even more injured, it proved the deadliest and costliest war ever fought on American soil. Until this point, decorating graves was predominantly done by families to mourn their loved ones. It is unclear when adorning soldiers’ graves became less an individual effort and more of a movement.
Some records indicate one of the earliest commemorations was organized by a group of formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina, less than a month after the confederacy surrendered. Another story out of Columbus, Mississippi, claims that the tradition of decorating soldiers’ graves began when women honoring the Confederate lives lost in the battle of Shiloh were disturbed by the bare union graves and extended flowers to all of the fallen soldiers. Eventually, there was a distinct effort to memorialize all those who lost their lives fighting in the war.
It wasn’t until May 5, 1868, that Major General John A. Logan, leader of an organization called the Grand Army of the Republic, designated May 30 as “Decoration Day.” People were encouraged to decorate the graves of Civil War veterans on this day given that it was not the anniversary of any particular battle, and it was the peak time for blooming flowers. The first large observance occurred shortly after this declaration at Arlington National Cemetery.
Decoration Day was adopted by most states in the following years. The Army and Navy even determined regulations for proper observance at their facilities. It wasn’t until the end of World War I that Decoration Day evolved into the Memorial Day we know presently. Instead of being exclusive to Civil War veterans, all fallen servicemen and women were honored. States did not just decorate graves but aimed to memorialize the lives lost. In 1971, Congress would make Memorial Day an official federal holiday. As a country, we take the last Monday in May to mourn and to remember.
Unofficially, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer. The three-day weekend for many just before the start of June makes it the prime time for parties and trips. Stores have big blowout sales. We shift our sights to summertime. With warm weather on the horizon, we can forget why we’ve set this time aside in the first place. But luckily, we have traditions that embody the true meaning of this day. Arlington National Cemetery still holds a gathering where flowers are laid across soldiers’ graves and small American flags are planted by each headstone. Additionally, the president places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Parades march through the streets with the largest in Washington, D.C.
Here in Rhode Island parades take place in Charlestown, Barrington, East Greenwich, North Providence, North and South Kingstown, and Bristol among others. Fort Adams State Park hosts the Operation Stand Down RI project Boots on the Ground for Heroes Memorial to honor the lives lost in the Global War on Terror. The Strewing of Flowers in Newport Harbor is a traditional maritime ceremony to honor those lost at sea. Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery welcomes gold star families and dignitaries to speak at their annual ceremony – an event that saw its 50th anniversary this year.
Finally, as a nation, we came together at 3 p.m. local time for a minute of silence. The National Moment of Remembrance was signed into law in December 2000. As founder Carmella LaSpada stated, “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”
It might be easy to catch summer fever when Memorial Day comes around each year. The truth is, we must make an effort to remember the fallen heroes that laid down their lives to give us ours. On the day designated to their memory, we owe it to them to give them all of the respect they deserve, and we must move forward with them in mind. The flowers are blooming, and summer is just ahead, but we must carry with us the responsibility to keep remembrance alive.
Tyler-Lynn Tavares is a Rhode Island Catholic Correspondent and holds an MFA in Creative Writing.
