I left out the ‘Happy’ because the Memorial Day should not be a happy one filled with BBQ’s, Weekend Sales Events and Parties.

It is a day to pause and reflect and honor those who died protecting our freedoms in wars.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance.

It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers. That date was chosen because it did not represent an anniversary of any particular battle.

Per the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - National Cemetery Administration
History Program  "Memorial Day Order"
General Orders No. 11, Washington, D.C., May 5, 1868:
 
‘The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.’
 
In 1873, New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday.
By the late 1800s, many more cities and communities observed Memorial Day, and several states had declared it a legal holiday.
After World War I, it became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars and was then more widely established as a national holiday throughout the United States.
In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be commemorated on the last Monday of May.