Memorial Day - it's more than just a three-day weekend and picnics

For many Americans, Memorial Day signifies a three-day weekend, and is the unofficial beginning of Summer. It's the perfect time for picnics, a day at the beach or backyard barbecues, and millions of Americans hit the road to spend time with family and friends. However, the holiday represents so much more than any of those celebrations.

A tradition that began during the Civil War, Memorial Day was, in its earliest form, the simple practice of honoring fallen soldiers by decorating their grave sites. During the years following the Civil War, the country struggled to come together as a whole again and repair itself from four years of death and destruction, and as a way to start the healing process and honor those who had lost their lives, several southern states began to observe and publicize Memorial Day celebrations. Northern states soon followed suit with their own tradition, Decoration Day, and over the next 100 years, Memorial Day was celebrated nationwide unofficially until the last Monday in May was declared a federal holiday in 1971.