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 discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.
Auto club AAA said in a travel forecast that this holiday weekend could be"one for the record books, especially at airports," with more than 42 million Americans projected to travel 50 miles or more. Federal officials said Friday that the number of air travelers had already hit a pandemic-era high.
There's little controversy over the first national observance of what was then called Decoration Day. It occurred May 30, 1868, after an organization of Union veterans called for decorating war graves with flowers, which were in bloom. A total of 267 Union troops had died at a Confederate prison and were buried in a mass grave. After the war, members of Black churches buried them in individual graves.
In 1871, abolitionist Frederick Douglass feared Americans were forgetting the Civil War's impetus — slavery — when he gave a Decoration Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery. By 1911, the Indianapolis 500 held its inaugural race on May 30, drawing 85,000 spectators. A report from The Associated Press made no mention of the holiday — or any controversy.HOW HAS MEMORIAL DAY CHANGED?Dennis said Memorial Day's potency diminished somewhat with the addition of Armistice Day, which marked World War I's end on Nov. 11, 1918. Armistice Day became a national holiday by 1938 and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
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From the Civil War to today's mattress sales, Memorial Day is full of contradictionMemorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members
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From the Civil War to today's mattress sales, Memorial Day is full of contradictionMemorial 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. Memorial Day has long been a source of contention and contradiction, from its shifting origin stories to today’s mattress sales. Auto club AAA forecasts that this holiday weekend could be “one for the record books, especially at airports.” More than 42 million Americans are projected to travel 50 miles or more. Compared to last year, 2.7 million more people will travel for the unofficial start of summer. And that's despite inflation.
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Memorial Day vs. Veterans Day: What's the Difference?Memorial Day and Veterans Day are two important holidays that honor those who have served in the United States military. However, there is a difference between the two holidays.
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Poppy Day proclaimed before Memorial Day in EnterprisePoppies are worn as a tribute to fallen and future veterans and service members. The new holiday is now annually observed the Friday before Memorial Day.
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AAA predicts Thursday to be busiest travel day for Memorial Day weekendTravelers can bet both Hobby and Bush airports will be busy this Memorial Day weekend, but ABC13 has the tips you need for a smooth holiday trip.
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Friday will be busiest travel day of Memorial Day weekend, AAA saysMore than 2.1 million Floridians are expected to take a road trip for Memorial Day, according to AAA. Unfortunately, it means thousands of them will experience car trouble, AAA said.
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