Decoration Day is an African American cultural holiday launched on May 1, 1865
What's in a name?
The first Decoration Day, recognized as the precursor to Memorial Day, took place on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, SC. Newly freed blacks honored the sacrifice of Union soldiers by exhuming their bodies from a mass grave at a Confederate prison and decorating their graves. This celebration included heartfelt hymn singing, scriptures, prayer
The first Decoration Day, recognized as the precursor to Memorial Day, took place on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, SC. Newly freed blacks honored the sacrifice of Union soldiers by exhuming their bodies from a mass grave at a Confederate prison and decorating their graves. This celebration included heartfelt hymn singing, scriptures, prayers, and thanksgiving. A festive parade followed the burial ceremony, attracting ten thousand attendees, nearly a third of whom were children. If you want to learn more about the history of this important holiday, please fill out our contact us form.
Why we won't forget.
Thanksgiving for answered prayers for emancipation became a cause for celebration and decoration day festivities. Thousands of newly freed children and adults filled the streets in a festive parade, honoring the Union soldiers who sacrificed their lives fighting against chattel slavery. As we recognize these significant moments during the
Thanksgiving for answered prayers for emancipation became a cause for celebration and decoration day festivities. Thousands of newly freed children and adults filled the streets in a festive parade, honoring the Union soldiers who sacrificed their lives fighting against chattel slavery. As we recognize these significant moments during the holiday season and on Memorial Day, the ongoing fight for freedom reminds Americans to unite and honor each other's dignity in both life and death. For more information, please use our contact us form.
Books on Decoration Day
Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by David W. Blight explores themes of remembrance that resonate today, particularly during the Memorial Day holiday. Decoration Day in the Mountains: Traditions of Cemetery Decoration in the South by Alan Jabbour and Carl Lindahl illustrates the unique practices surrounding this celebrati
Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by David W. Blight explores themes of remembrance that resonate today, particularly during the Memorial Day holiday. Decoration Day in the Mountains: Traditions of Cemetery Decoration in the South by Alan Jabbour and Carl Lindahl illustrates the unique practices surrounding this celebration in Southern culture. The Decoration/Memorial Day War by David H. Brown (fiction) offers an intriguing fictional perspective on the tensions tied to these observances, while Decoration Day: and Other Stories by Gerald Duff (fiction) captures various narratives related to this important holiday. For more information or inquiries, please use our contact us form.