15 facts about Memorial Day

We hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend planned. Here are some facts about this solemn day of remembrance:

• Then-President Bill Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act on Dec. 28th, 2000, and designated 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day as a National Moment of Remembrance.
• The flag is flown at half-mast until noon and then raised to full mast until sunset on the holiday.
• It was also called Decoration Day.
• Red poppies are considered a symbol of remembrance and it's a tradition to wear them to honor the soldiers.
• Another tradition on Memorial Day is to place coins on the graves of soldiers you visit. Also, different coins carry different meaning — pennies mean you stopped by, dimes mean you served with the deceased and quarters mean you saw the soldier’s death.
• The American flag is often placed on the graves in national cemeteries.
• Memorial Day is unofficially considered the beginning of summer in the U.S.
• Over 20 towns claim to be Memorial Day’s “birthplace,” however Waterloo is only to have federal recognition.
• Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana and Texas observe a separated Confederate Memorial Day to honor the members of the Confederates, Navy, Marines, and militia who died in wars.
• AAA estimated about 39.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the Memorial Day weekend.
• The “Taps” call is often played at ceremonies on Memorial Day.
• New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday.
• Some people often confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day. Memorial Day honors the soldiers who died while serving, while Veterans Day honors all U.S. military veterans.
• About 620,000 people died in the Civil War.
• Over 300,000 fallen soldiers have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. On an average, about 28 burials happen at the cemetery every day.