New York State Funeral Directors Association
The words of Union Army General John A. Logan created an important holiday many Americans observe with family gatherings and some with visits to cemeteries.
The modern Memorial Day holiday was created after Logan’s General Order marked May 30, 1868 as a day for decorating the graves of “comrades who died in defense of their country.”
Each year, family members gather at the final resting places of their ancestors in China and other Asian countries.
It’s a respectful gathering – called the Qingming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Day – that holds many values that would be quite meaningful to people in Western society.
The three-day event takes place each year in early April.
Last week, I served a family that was particularly injured by the actions of the decedent during her lifetime.
She was an older woman, and during her youth and young adult life, she had departed from the traditions of her family. This abandonment caused strife and other difficulties for her siblings and children.
SympathyNotes is written to stimulate discussion of death and grief. Opinions do not reflect the views of NYSFDA.
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