Happy Memorial Day!

As we celebrate this day chowing down on burgers and hot dogs, it is easy to forget the significance behind the Memorial Day Holiday - A day to honor the brave men and women who have died serving in our armed forces!

The first Memorial Day (called Decoration Day), was celebrated on May 30th, 1868 by General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, to get the country to come together after the civil war. He picked the 30th because no civil wars had been fought on that day and also because flowers would be in full bloom all across the country.

In 1915, inspired by a poem entitled Flanders Field, poppies became the flowers of choice and now people all over the country wear them each year to honor, the veterans who gave up their lives for the country.

Despite the significance of the day, it was not until 1971 that the day was declared a National holiday and moved to the last Monday of May, so that people could enjoy a 3-day weekend.

While this has been a great idea, it has also meant that some of the significance of the holiday has been lost - with kids equating the day to the 'beginning of summer' or the 'first day when swimming pools open' - To try revive the importance of the day, a humanitarian organization in Washington D.C. came up with the idea of a 'National Moment of Remembrance', which requires everybody to keep silent for exactly one minute at 3.00 pm (local time) in honor our heroes.

So this memorial day as you chow down on your burgers and slurp on your root beer floats, do take a minute to reflect on all those brave men and women who have sacrificed themselves for our nation and allowed you this freedom. Be sure to try the crossword puzzle above to see how much (or little) you know about the day.

source: huffingtonpost.com, memorialdaytribute.com,usmemorialday,org