For some, it is Decoration Day while for others it is Memorial Day. There are huge differences in meaning of these two days but both celebrated on the same day i.e. last Monday on every May. For civilians, who have not anyone in their family who died while serving military, it is Decoration Day but for families who have military back ground and who have lost their loved-ones in the wars, it is a Memorial Day. These military families go to the graves of their loved-ones and pay them a tribute for what they did for this country. While Decoration Day, people arrange get-to-gather and barbecues and they take it as an unofficial declaration of summer. Taking into consideration this trend, one veteran once said that it seemed as if we live in two different Americas on May 31. Memorial Day is celebrated from May 29-31.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says, Memorial Day is very important for them as they pay tribute to their soldiers through seminars. The parents of these soldiers are specially invited by the department and they are asked to say some words about their children who died for this nation. Not many years have passed that the Memorial Day was observed as barbecue day for almost all the Americans but recent wars against Iraq and Afghanistan have changed the trend. Father of one soldier says that he himself used to arrange for barbecues and other things like that on Memorial Day but the death of his son has changed many things in his life and now, he spends his Memorial Day remembering his son.
The name “Memorial Day” was declared official in 1967 by an act of Congress while in 1971, it became an official holiday.