Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring 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. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday. A little known fact...Confederate Memorial Day is still observed FL, AL, MS, GA and parts of SC. - at the end of April! This practice is viewed as controversial today. Why? We discussed it. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season. We discussed how Memorial Day has evolved from the Civil War to present day. Since we have both spent extensive time in Israel, we discussed the difference between the U.S. and Israeli observations of Memorial Day. In Israel, a siren blasts for a minute and the entire country stops what they are doing to honor Israel's military. It is a somber day for the entire population. Why the difference, I asked Nicole. She insightfully stated, 1) because Israel is a much smaller country than the U.S., 2) because serving in the military in Israel is mandatory, which leads us to 3) every person/family has likely lost someone serving their country in the line of duty. On a happy note, congratulations to Nicole for winning the election for "Schlicha" on the BBYO Board! She worked very hard on her campaign. What an asset she will be to the BBYO Board!!!!