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Did You Know Memorial Day Used To Be Decoration Day?

Here’s the week at a glance
at the Nyack Library.

Monday

Memorial Day – Library Closed

Tuesday

  • Fiction Writers Workshop, Registration required, 11a
  • Cuentos, Canciones y Artesania, 1p
  • Nyack Toastmasters, 6:45p

Wednesday 

  • Mother Goose Time, 10:30a
  • Trivia Wednesdays, 4p

Thursday

  • What Time is it?  It’s Game Time!, 3p
  • Master Gardener Series – Edible Landscaping, Registration required, 7p

Friday

  • Toddler Time, 11a
  • Teen Choice Movie, 3:30p

Saturday

Carnegie Concert Series: Rachmaninoff Complete Piano Works with Alexandre Moutouzkine, 7:30p

 

Graves at Arlington on Memorial Day

Graves at Arlington on Memorial Day
Source: Wikipedia

Memorial Day, which is a federal holiday and is observed every year on the last Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the Civil War to remember the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war.   Now, Memorial Day is a day to honor all Americans who died while in military service. The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day, which was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967.

The practice of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers is an ancient custom and soldiers’ graves were decorated before and during the Civil War. Many places claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, but in 1966, President Johnson signed a presidential proclamation naming Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day. Today, many people visit cemeteries and memorials, or attend parades in observance of the holiday and volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. It is also considered the unofficial start of the summer season.

The Nyack Memorial Day Parade will begin today at 11 am on Artopee Way behind the former Helen Hayes Theater in the center of the village and continues east on Main Street, south on Broadway and then east on Depew Avenue ending at Memorial Park where a ceremony will be held at noon.

Carnegie Concert Series: Rachmaninoff Complete Piano Works with Alexandre Moutouzkine, Sat at 7:30p

Rachmaninoff is forced to flee Russia during the 1917 revolution, leaving all of his property and possessions behind. He writes his final works in Russia, but struggles to compose without a connection to his homeland. A chance encounter sparks his imagination and he is able to compose a late masterpiece.

Program
LATE MASTERPIECES
Nine Etudes-Tableaux, Op.39
Variations on a Theme by Corelli, Op.42

Alexandre Moutouzkine, piano

Tickets In Advance: $20 Adult, $18 Seniors & Students, $15 member. At the Door: $25 Adult, $22 Seniors & Students, $18 member. Tickets and more info at CarnegieConcerts.org.


Have a question or a fun fact you want to know? We’re looking for suggestions for our weekly Did You Know fact. Write to info@NyackNewsAndViews with your suggestions.

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Did You Know comes to you each Monday on NyackNewAndViews, sponsored by the Nyack Library.

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Nyack People & Places, a weekly series that features photos and profiles of citizens and scenes near Nyack, NY, is sponsored by Sun River Health.


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