Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day from your friends at Spencer Heating and Air Conditioning! As you know, Memorial Day is celebrated throughout our nation on the last Monday of May to honor our men and women who died while serving in the United States military. But did you know that each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time? Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and started as a time to honor only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. The Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to the countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers. It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated and numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. During World War I the United States found itself in the middle of another major conflict and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars. For many decades, Memorial Day was observed on May 30 until Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968 in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. This change took effect for the first time in 1971. Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often including military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Another well-known tradition is the very popular Memorial Day backyard barbeque, which also acts as the unofficial start of the summer season! We would like to wish you and your family a very safe and happy Memorial Day. Today might be thought of as a day off from work or a chance to have a backyard get together with friends, but take a few moments to reflect on the sacrifices of the men and women who have served in our military to fight for our freedom at home and abroad. Thank you to our veterans as well as the men and women of our armed forces for all that they do!