Luminaria Highlights Memorial Day Weekend Events In Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The Memorial Day commemoration event at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

The commemoration and luminaria events are the highlight of the three-day Memorial Day Weekend — May 27-29 this year. The free events will give visitors an opportunity to remember the 15,000 servicemembers buried at the Fredericksburg cemetery.

A candle will be lit for each grave at the luminaria event on Saturday. On Monday, the National Park Service will host tours of the Fredericksburg battlefield and host local guest speakers who served in the military.

Here are some other events nearby:

• Memorial Day Murph Challenge
  • 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 29 at the Ron Rosner Family YMCA
  • The Murph is a CrossFit challenge that includes a mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, and finished with another mile run.
• Run for Valhalla Memorial Day 5K & 10K
  • 7:30 a.m. on Monday, May 29 at Pratt Park
  • This race intends to raise awareness for veteran suicide. A majority of the race's proceeds will go to Mission 22.
• Virginia Renaissance Faire
  • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Lake Anna Winery
  • This weekend's faire will include a "pirate invasion." Active, reserve, and retired members of the military will be admitted free of charge.

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.