Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a US holiday originally created to remember Civil War soldiers who died in service. The exact origins of the holiday are unknown, however in 1868 May 30th was set aside for the observance. After World War I it was changed to the remembrance of those who died in any war. The National Holiday Act of 1971(P.L. 90-363) made it the Monday holiday we all know and enjoy as the last Monday in May. In 1915 it became traditional to display red poppies.

To help re-educate the public on the meaning of Memorial Day, in 2000 the National Moment of Remembrance resolution was passed. This resolution asks the public to observe 3pm local time as a moment of remembrance or respect.

To learn more about the history and observances associated with Memorial Day, please visit http://www.usmemorialday.org. I'm using this weekend to work on other projects, including some special articles which will start appearing in late August -- I'll be back with a new Project Management article next week.