Growing up in Eastern NC, I’ve known Memorial Day Weekend to signify the start of summer and the official opening of beach season. In high school, exams had just finished, and this was the first weekend the pool was warm enough to swim in. For many it’s the first breath of summer, and that’s worthy of celebration.

Without research, I would’ve answered, “It’s a day to honor those who served on our front lines.” While that is true, we do that everyday by offering veteran’s discounts for anything from life insurance to movie tickets. So what makes Memorial Day different?

Unlike Veteran’s Day, it specifically honors the fallen. A common tradition is to hold parades, specifically, in major cities like Washington, DC and New York City. It is also custom that the American flag is hung at half-mast until noon and then raised for the rest of the day to signify both mourning and celebration. Other customs include wearing a red poppy and pausing at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence.

Memorial Day also has an equally endearing and surprising origin story. The first nationally recognized Memorial Day was held in Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868. However, the first account of this May memorial is recorded to have occurred in Charleston in 1885 and called “Decoration Day.” However, for about a century, these reports were not discovered and many believed the first celebration occurred in 1866 in various small towns.

After the Confederacy surrendered, a group of freed black slaves, who had been held at an old race course in Charleston, commemorated the 260 who had died during imprisonment from disease. They were called the “Martyrs of the Race Course.” A month later, on May 1st, 10,000 freed black men, their families, and a few white missionaries gathered at this same race course and held a parade in honor of those buried.

Black preachers read from the Bible and 3,000 school children carried bouquets of flowers and sang “John Brown’s Body.” This first “Decoration Day” was first reported in the Charleston Courier, but not many other reports were made, so it was never considered a legitimate origin of memorial day.

In 1971 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 went into effect, stating that Memorial Day is an official holiday and it is to be held the last Monday in May. This act then led Memorial Day to be what it is today, the three day weekend we know and love.

As we enjoy the sand between our toes and a much needed day of rest, let us not forget that it’s only possible because of those who came and died before us.