Memorial Day Weekend 2024: Events Around Andover
ANDOVER, MA — The upcoming Memorial Day parade in Andover is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.The parade in Andover is the highlight of the three-day Memorial Day Weekend — May 25-27 this year. The Andover Veterans Services and the Patriotic Holiday Committee will host Andover's Annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27. The parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of Elm Street and Florence Street. More information is available here.North Andover will also host a parade Monday, May 27, starting at 10 a.m. at the Town Common. A ceremony will follow at Ridgewood Cemetery. In the event of inclement weather, services will be held in the Middle School Veterans Auditorium at 10:30 a.m. More information is available here.As the observance has changed over the years, many families also use Memorial Day as an occasion to visit Andover cemeteries and leave flowers at the graves of family members, regardless of whether they served in the military.The history of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan called for a day of remembrance to honor the Northern lives lost amid battle during the Civil War that had ended just a few years earlier, according to History.com. As time passed, more and more people called it Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971. Waterloo, New York, is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day. The town’s observance on May 5, 1866, predated Logan’s call for a day of remembrance. Local businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags.Until World War I, the holiday honored only those soldiers who died while fighting for the Union in the War, as Southern states honored their war dead on a separate day. After the 116,000-plus American deaths in World War I, the tradition changed to remember all who have died while serving in the military. Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Americans are asked to pause for one minute in silence to remember military personnel who have given their lives in service to their country. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the midday time was chosen because it’s a time when many Americans will be enjoying their freedoms on a national holiday.The article Memorial Day Weekend 2024: Events Around Andover appeared first on Andover, MA Patch.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings