I hope everyone is able to celebrate their 3-day holiday. (Mum and Kate I hope you are enjoying your Monday!) We know that Memorial Day means a 3 day weekend, but it’s important to remember the reason behind this American holiday. It’s to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. It unofficially marks the beginning of the summer (although I will need some warm dry weather first before I believe summer is here). Early Observances of Memorial Day The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, 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 these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers. Interesting Tid Bit  Did you know? Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.  I had no idea! No one is certain where this tradition originated. In 1966 the…