Memorial Day Weekend 2023 In The Caldwells: More Details Of Parade, Bike Contest Announced

THE CALDWELLS — The six communities in the Caldwells area — including Caldwell, North Caldwell, West Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield, and Roseland — are sponsoring the 2023 West Essex Memorial Day Parade.

It will be held Monday, May 29, 2023 with a 9:30 a.m. step-off from Forest Avenue in Caldwell.

The Line of March continues for a little over a mile along Bloomfield Avenue and concludes with a
Memorial Day ceremony at Crane Park in West Caldwell.

Local groups or organizations are invited to participate in this year’s parade. If you
wish to march in the parade, please call the West Caldwell-Caldwell Recreation office, 973-226-3621.

Bike Decorating Contest

The Bike Decorating Contest for kids will return for Memorial Day, as well.

The contest, sponsored by West Caldwell-Caldwell Recreation and the Kiwanis, will include categories like most original and most patriotic.

The contest will begin bright and early at 8:30 a.m. on May 29, with the parade starting at 9:30 a.m. (click the links below for details and updates).

See more details of the parade and bike contest here.

History of Memorial Day

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.