Memorial Day is a time to honor the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country. While many of us commemorate the day with barbecues and family gatherings, there’s so much more to this significant holiday.

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, a time when the graves of fallen soldiers were decorated with flowers, flags, and wreaths.

The origins of Memorial Day date back to the Civil War, which claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.

The first large-scale observance of what was then called Decoration Day was held on May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery.

Memorial Day was traditionally observed on May 30 each year but was moved to the last Monday in May in 1971 to create a three-day weekend for federal employees.

General John A. Logan, the leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance, leading to the establishment of Decoration Day.

Inspired by the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields," the poppy flower became a symbol of remembrance, and it’s now common to see people wearing red poppies on Memorial Day.

It wasn’t until 1971 that Memorial Day became an official federal holiday, although it had been widely observed since the late 19th century.

In 2000, Congress established a National Moment of Remembrance, asking Americans to pause for a moment of silence at 3:00 PM local time to remember the fallen.

Several Southern states observe a separate day to honor Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War, such as Confederate Memorial Day in Texas, Florida, and Georgia.

Waterloo, New York, is recognized by the federal government as the official birthplace of Memorial Day, having first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866.