Marlborough 2024 Memorial Day: Weekend Full Of Events, Ceremonies

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Marlborough has a full weekend of events and activities planned over the long Memorial Day weekend, including the traditional parade on Monday.

Here's the full schedule, according to city officials :

Flagging of Graves at Evergreen Cemetery
Saturday, 9 a.m.
Evergreen Cemetery, 133 Wilson St.
The public is invited and welcome to participate in the flagging of graves for veterans within Evergreen Cemetery.

Memorial Day Run
Monday, 6:45 a.m.
Hildreth School, 85 Sawin Street
The public is invited and welcome to participate in Memorial Day Run that will be led by Marlborough resident Julie Kujawski beginning at Hildreth Elementary School and end at Marlborough City Hall.

Memorial Day Parade
Monday, 10 a.m.
Main Street
The public is invited to watch the Memorial Day Parade process from the American Legion on Maple Street, down Main Street, and end at the Civil War Monument on Mechanic Street.

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.