Yesterday was Memorial Day and hopefully you took a little (or a lot of) time to reflect on the purpose and the meaning of this day. Yes, for many of us it is the beginning of the summer season, but it is also a day or remembrance as well.

Did you know that it was not always called Memorial Day? At first it was known as “Decoration Day.” The graves of soldiers who had died were decorated on that day, hence the name. It was first celebrated in the late 1860s

The term “Memorial Day” did not come into use until 1882, but even then it was not used widely. The widespread use of the term “Memorial Day” did not come until after World War II. The Federal government did not make this the day’s official name until the 1960s. It was one of the holidays that was part of the 1968 Uniform Holidays Bill, a piece of legislation that moved three holidays to specified Mondays to allow for the three-day weekends surrounding Veterans Day, Columbus Day and Memorial Day to become a standard part of our calendar.