Decoration Day

In our time, Memorial Day has two purposes: to acknowledge the sacrifice of men and women in the armed forces and to serve as the unofficial launch of the summer season. Previous eras in American history took a more solemn view of the day's significance. The day was a holiday by decree, rather than a "natural" holiday such as New Year's Day. It began in the post-Civil War era, and was called Decoration Day. While the day's name gradually shifted over the following decades to Memorial Day, it retained its hold on May 30th as the celebratory date.

In 1971, federal legislation called the "Uniform Holidays Bill" shifted Memorial Day to fit into the demands of a three-day holiday weekend. Some, including veterans groups, feel this date change has diminished the holiday's resonance with a population that coincidentally has largely done its best to avoid military service.

Many still retain a strong feeling for Memorial Day. Flagman, an image taken by my wife, the photographer Amy Becker, that suggests the depth of this sentiment. The man in the photograph found the flags left on the street after a parade. He took them home, washed the flags, and displayed them.

If you enjoy post-war blues, Sonny Boy Williamson's Decoration Day is a way to go, although the harmonica player's conflicts were more domestic than nationalistic.