vibe WR
While we have made every effort
Eight things to remember about Memorial Day
to trace the copyright holders of articles and illustrations contained in this issue, we would be grateful for any information that might assist us in identifying sources we have as yet been unable to find.
Memorial Day is observed in the United States on the last Monday of May. It commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day, and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season. Here are some facts to give the holiday some perspective.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Johan Graus Editorial assistant Aafke Moons
Memorial Day began as a response to the Civil War
Memorial Day was a response to the unprecedented carnage of the Civil War, in which a total of some 620,000 soldiers died between both sides. The loss of life and its effect on communities throughout the country led to several spontaneous commemorations of the dead.
Compiled by Marleen Cannegieter Erik Cats Christien van Gool Johan Graus
Major General John A. Logan made the day official
Caspar van Haalen
General Logan issued General Order 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 defence of their country during the late rebellion’.
Aafke Moons Ine Sanders Frederike Westera
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day
The holiday was long known as Decoration Day for the practice of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags.
Teaching enquiries
Memorial Day is more of a franchise than a national holiday
Photos on cover
Johan Graus, jgraus@xs4all.nl
Calling Memorial Day a ‘national holiday’ is a bit of a misnomer. While there have been ten federal holidays created by Congress – including Memorial Day – they apply only to federal employees and the District of Columbia. For the rest of the US, the holiday was enacted state by state.
Castleski, Mopic, Erik Lam, Angyalosi Beata / Shutterstock Editorial agency Marjan den Hertog, Deventer
Memorial Day has its own set of customs
General Order No. 11 stated that ‘in this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed’, but over time, several customs and symbols became associated with the holiday. Most notably, 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. The World War I poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, by John McCrea, inspired the Memorial Day custom of wearing red artificial poppies.
Graphic design Maura van Wermeskerken, Apeldoorn Subscriptions (also for Belgium) Mijntijdschrift.com
Each Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer season
Curieweg 16
There’s no question that Memorial Day is a solemn event. Still, people don’t feel too guilty about doing something frivolous (like hosting a barbecue) over the weekend.
Memorial Day is not Veterans Day
Some people get Memorial Day and Veterans Day (11 November) confused. Veterans Day is a day to honour all of the men and women who have served in the US armed forces, Memorial Day to honour those who lost their lives.
On Memorial Day there are a lot of parades
Across the United States, the central event on Memorial Day is attending one of the thousands of parades held in large and small cities. Most of these feature marching bands and an overall military theme with the Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veteran service members participating along with military vehicles from various wars.
8013 RA Zwolle (088) 22 666 93 waspreporter@mijntijdschrift.com © PHOTOSTOCKIMAGE, AXL / SHUTTERSTOCK
1
Editor
Subscription terms and rates See Teacher File or www.waspreporter.nl © ThiemeMeulenhoff Amersfoort, Netherlands, 2021
Looking for more fun, articles, or a web quest?
Check out WaspReporter’s website at www.waspreporter.nl
WaspReporter_19.4.indd 28
08-03-2021 09:20
