People in different parts of the world constantly look forward to holidays so that they can take time off work, even if it’s for only a few days. During these holidays, we like to share our good wishes with friends and families, and a common way of doing this is with the aid of images for these special days. Examples of these special days include Christmas Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Day, and many more.
On each of these days, you’ll see individuals and businesses upload really nice pictures on all their platforms, and you might wonder where they get these really nice images from. There are different ways to get these types of images, and a common method is from stock image websites. Fortunately, there are many of these websites, and a top recommendation you might want to consider is illustAC.
Among these special days, our focus in this article will be on Memorial Day. You’ll find out everything there is to know about Memorial Day, and we’ll also show you some of the Memorial Day Images on illustAC that you might want to get. There are more of these images on the website, but we are only showing a few so that you can know what to expect. Continue reading to learn more about Memorial Day.
What is Memorial Day All About?
It was initially called Decoration Day, and it’s a day that is mostly observed by different communities in the United States. The celebration started after the Civil War, during which the nation recorded over 600,000 military deaths, which accounts for up to 2% of the total population during that time. During that time, the Commander-in-Chief of the Gand Army of Republic, John A. Logan, chose a day to decorate the graves of all the troops that had lost their lives in service. This event took place on May 30, 1868.
From that time up to this very day, Memorial Day became a day set aside to remember and honour these faithful in the United States. A similar day that is observed is Veterans Day, which is on November 11, and this is a day set aside to celebrate every veteran in the United States.
In the United States national archives, there’s a rich wealth of material that documents the Memorial Day as well as honour everyone to have served in different branches of the military in the United States.
To help you understand the essence of Memorial Day well, go through a brief history of this day.
Brief History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day is more than just another day off work to enjoy time with friends and family or watch different patriotic movies and listen to music. It’s far more than a day to try different Memorial Day recipes; but it’s a day set aside in memory of those that lost their lives during the civil war.
Memorial Day is mostly observed on the last Monday of May every year, and for this year, it falls on May 30. Most people only know that this day is set aside to honour those that lost their lives during service for the U.S Military and are unaware of the actual history of this day.
To help you understand the historical relevance of Memorial Day, these are 12 interesting facts that you should know:
1. Celebrations like Memorial Day Actually Started in Ancient Times
The most fascinating thing about Memorial Day is that it actually dates back as far back as 431 B.C. This was during the time when many soldiers lost their lives in the Peloponnesian War. These soldiers were then honoured in a general funeral, and during the funeral, a speech was delivered by Pericles, a Greek statesman. Today, this is considered as the first general ceremony to recognize people who gave up their lives during the war. Years after this event, ancient Romans and Greeks organized commemorations to honour their soldiers.
2. One of the earlier Memorial Day celebrations in the U.S. was after men, women, and children were freed from slavery on May 1, 1865
Shortly after the end of the civil war, many enslaved people, locals, and some members of the U.S Coloured Tropes conducted a burial for all the Union Troops, especially those that died because of the terrible conditions of the prisons. They also honoured the dead with different hymns and kept flowers on their graves.
3. Memorial Day was initially called Decoration Day
In early times, people mostly referred to Memorial Day as Decoration Dady, especially during the late 1860s. This was the time when different Americans started to host tributes for fallen soldiers, and it basically involved placing flags and flowers to decorate their graves. As years passed on, the name gradually changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day, as we all know it to be today.
4. Union General John A. Logan is the brain behind this day, and it was made official on May 30, 1868
One of the reasons why the date was chosen is because it didn’t serve as an anniversary for any past battle. This was a day set aside to honour everyone who lost their lives during the Civil War. However, in some Southern states, the day was observed differently, and it was a special day to honour Confederate soldiers that lost their lives. At the end of the first World War, the holiday came up again to honour fallen soldiers of wars. Today, different states have set aside special days to honour everyone that have lost their lives during wars.
5. A resolution was passed in 1950, and this was a proclamation calling Americans to take the Memorial Day as a day to pray for permanent peace
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed in 1968, and in this Act, it was stated that the last Monday in the month of May is considered to be Memorial Day. The aim was to create a three-day weekend for government workers to give them enough time to observe Memorial Day. However, it was until 1971 that Memorial Day actually became an official federal holiday. You can have an idea of this when you look at different Memorial Day images.
6. Waterloo, New York, was declared the originator of Memorial Day in 1966
There are claims from different parts of the United States about being the first to recognize Memorial Day. However, in 1966, a small town in the U.S was recognized as the birthplace of Memorial Day. In that year, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the legislation that identified Waterloo, New York, as the place where Memorial Day originated from. There are different Memorial Day images of this place today.
7. Decoration Day was to recognize fallen Civil War soldiers until World War I
In general, America’s participation in World War I mostly takes a backseat compared to Civil War, the Vietnam War, World War II, and the Revolutionary War. Despite that, it has been able to establish different American traditions, as well as Veterans Day. Decoration Day also changed to Memorial Day after World War I, and it has been that way ever since then.
World War I was the first major conflict that the country would ever face since after the Civil War, and it was also the first conflict the country would fight on foreign soil. WWI recorded the death of more than 115,000 Americans. There are also different Memorial Day Images depicting these events.
8. In 2000 the National Moment of Remembrance Act was signed by President Bill Clinton
The act urged every American to stop everything and observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 pm. This was observed by different organizations in the region, including Major League Baseball, NASCAR, and Amtrak.
9. Different cities hosted parades to recognize Memorial Day
Most of the largest parades were in places like New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago. The parade hosts so many people who come to watch as retired and active-duty military units, marching bands, veterans, floats, and youth groups head down Constitution Avenue.
10. The President urged governors of Puerto Rico and the United States to place their flag at half-staff until the noon of the Memorial Day.
This was to be done on grounds, naval vessels and on buildings. Citizens were also asked to display flags in the same manner as well.
11. Flags are placed at half-staff than full staff on Memorial Day
As time went on, Memorial Day generated different community traditions as well as government traditions, and among these include the tradition of placing flags at half staff. You probably have already noticed this on different Memorial Day images. The aim is also to honour everyone that has fallen in the line of duty.
12. A common Memorial Day Tradition is that of the President placing a wreath on the Tomb of unknown soldiers
Presidents constantly go to revered sites on Memorial Day to pay their tribute to everyone that has fallen for their beloved country. Each president would deliver a heartfelt speech before laying a wreath at tombs. This can also be found in different Memorial Day images.
How to Celebrate Memorial Day with Memorial Day Images
We have been able to cover everything that you should know about Memorial Day, and you probably have come across different Memorial Day Images. One of the common ways that people celebrate this day of remembrance is with the aid of different Memorial Day images.
People use these Memorial Day Images on their different social media platforms, websites, banners, and other print materials as a way of commemorating the special day. There are so many types of Memorial Day Images available for you to use, and you can find them on different stock image websites. One of the most reliable places where you can get these images from is on illustAC.
Memorial Day Images from illustAC
As mentioned earlier, there are so many places where you can get Memorial Day images from, but one of the most reliable places that you might want to try is to get these Memorial Day images from illustAC. There are so many illustrations and images that relate to Memorial Day, and you’ll find these Memorial Day Images readily available for you to use on illustAC.
Here’s a catalogue of some of the Memorial Day Images that you’ll find on illustAC:
Anniversary Memorial Day Images
Frame Memorial Day Images
Heart Memorial Day Images
Illustration Memorial Day
Ribbon Memorial Day
These are only a few of the Memorial Day images that you’ll find on illustAC. You only need to check the website now and get the image that suits your need. The amazing thing is that you can use these images for both personal and commercial use.
Conclusion
We have been able to cover everything that you should know about Memorial Day, including its history, and Memorial Day is undoubtedly a day to commemorate, and there are so many ways you can do this. The simplest way that you can observe this day is by showing your level of creativity with different Memorial Day Images. Fortunately, you can’t run out of options with illustAC because there are tons of these images waiting for you to use on different personal and commercial projects.
Another interesting thing is that illustAC is constantly updated with new images, and as such, you can be sure that you won’t have to use the same images every year because you’ll always find a new Memorial Day image to use.