The older custom was to decorate the graves, and honor the memory, of all of the dead, and then to have a party afterward. After the Civil War, the holiday became established more along military lines.
Let’s remember the soldiers, bur let’s also remember the musicians and artists and teachers and carpenters and farmers who have lived their lives and passed into our memory.
Wikipedia about Memorial Day / Decoration Day
Image: “To the Memory of Cole” by Frederic Church
Thomas Cole
book by Earl A Powell
Happy Decoration Day!
ReplyDeletesadly, we pretty much dropped the remembrance and kept the party.
ReplyDeleteSeems like modern life has just progressed to more and more sterility, void of all meaning.. from guiness to bud light.
The clouds in that painting are very substantial, more like whipped cream than water vapor.
ReplyDeleteAfter my mother died, my father used to insist on going to visit her grave every Memorial Day. I actually didn't realize the day was originally not intended for veterans, but just for our loved ones. My father was right.