Memorial Day 2024 Meaning. Memorial day, initially referred to as decoration day, was observed by many communities after the civil war, when the nation suffered more than 620,000 military deaths,. Memorial day is a day of remembrance.

Veterans day, originally called “armistice day,” is a younger holiday established in 1926 as a way to commemorate all those who had served in the u.s. Memorial day was created to honor u.s.