While many cities claim to have hosted the first celebration of Memorial Day, the community recognized as the first is Waterloo, N.Y. For years, this small town hosted an annual event where businesses closed down and townspeople adorned the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags. When the Civil War finally ended, Waterloo held the first official Memorial Day on May 5, 1866, and we have been honoring our fallen heroes every year since. With all that goes with the holiday – picnics, cookouts, trips to the beach – make sure to spend a quiet moment remembering those we loved and lost in defense of our nation.
