I'd like to wish our U.S. readers a happy Memorial Day. Here's a bit of history:
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers.
If you'd like to know more, you can find a detailed write-up at the History Channel website here.