Memorial Day was started in 1865 by freed slaves to honor the Union soldiers that died.

[Cattledog]

I never learned that in school.

https://www.history.com/news/memorial-day-civil-war-slavery-charleston

[dchill]

1. First time I've heard this, too.

[Cha]

2. Where did you learn this, Cattledog?

I'd like to pass it on.

💙💛

[dchill]

4. See #3

[Cattledog]

5. A friend on Facebook. Here's a link to History channel.

https://www.history.com/news/memorial-day-civil-war-slavery-charleston

[Cha]

7. Mahalo!🤷‍♂️

💙💛

[dchill]

3. Here's what I found:

https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/the-first-decoration-day/

[doc03]

6. Didn't know that I thought it went back to WWI. nt

[llmart]

8. I actually knew that.

I'm originally from the Midwest but was transferred to the South in the 80's. My children were school aged then and I was absolutely baffled that they didn't get the day off for Memorial Day. So I asked around and one of my born and raised in the South neighbors filled me in that it went back to the Civil War and that Southerners refused to honor the holiday. She was one of the Southern women that I knew that wasn't afraid to speak out against their racist past. She also would speak out against the hypocrisy of calling themselves "friendly". She said they weren't actually interested in being friendly with Northerners, but they could sure pretend they were friendly people.

She was married to a Northern man, so that was probably why.