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Show m i - H lift - -' " J , V " - - - - vkvft-i--iSX rotf S20 CsrsyS ft&v 2??5rQ? I The Decorating of Graves With Flowers Is As I Old As History Itself - Memorial Days of H Various Nations - Anzac Day. H CoDTrljrht. 1917, by Tlio International Syndicate. CHE dead heroes of all countries and all times have been honored hon-ored by the living by somo token of nffcctlon and remom- M brance. This has not been peculiar H to any race or generation but seems M to bo lnhorent In human nature, for H everywhere since time began the llv-H llv-H Ins have gathered on festive occasions M to do homage to those who gave their H lives for their convictions or for their fl country's good. Whatever form this H commemoration has taken, none has M been so beautiful or so gracious as H the strewing of floral tributes on the H last resting place of tho nation's 11-H 11-H lustrious dead. H Greeks And Romans. H Kites, called Zoal, wore performed H by the ancient Greeks at each new H grave. The head of tho departed was H crowned with flowers and afterward H the burial flowers were strewn on the H mound. The Romans had a porlod H set apart for visiting the graves of relatives and heroes. It was known as the Parentalla and was celebrated from February 13th to 21st Tho last day was known as tho Feralla at which time tho tombs were decorated with flowers, particularly rosos and lilies, the latter being a symbol of purity in tho eyes of tho ancients. Laurel, too, was used as this plant has always boon regarded as an cm-blom cm-blom of victory. "Warriors' tombs were always decorated with garlands of laurel. Our Memorial Day Is tho secular All Souls' Day and liko most Christian festivals, tho latter Is a pagan feast in new form. On that day tho members mem-bers of tho Roman Catholic Church endeavor, by prayers and charity, to mitigate tho suffering of the souls in purgatory. In the oarly days the Christians wroto tho names of tho dead on tho altar lists and prayed to God to give theso peoplo a place of refreshment, light and peace. In ancient times it was customary for oriors dressed in mourning to parade l ho streets ringing a bell of mournful sound calling all Christians to remom-bor remom-bor tho dead and conio to prayors to help thorn on thoir way to Heaven and to bring garlands for tho tombs. Early Days In France. Jn Franco in the early days tho Jour des Mortes was kopt with great core-mony. core-mony. It was celobrated on All Saints' Day, Novombor 2nd. For several sev-eral weeks previous, tho stores and kiosks woro laden with wroaths of Immortelles, Im-mortelles, which woro purchased by tho peoplo for tho decoration of graves. When the Jour dos Mortes arrived tho peoplo streamed to the cemeteries carrying 'wreaths and bouquets. bou-quets. Even the graves in Potter's Field wero not neglected, while tho graves of national heroes were a perfect per-fect bower of flowers. In Switzerland All Saints' Day is observed ob-served as decoration day and as soon as mass is over tho women go to tho comoteries with thoir flowers for the dead. Silently, except for tho murmured mur-mured prayer they lay tho flowers on tho tombs. Toward evening a lamp is put at the foot of somo of tho graves and tho peoplo will frequently knool around tho light in tho snow. Tho scene is so weird that it Is almost uncanny. now Out Memorial Day Began. Our Memorial Day, tho trlbuto to our dead heroes, came into vogue by slow stages Tradition has it that at tho beginning of tho Civil War a soldier sol-dier of the Gorman Army came to this country and enlisting In the Union Un-ion Army sorved throughout tho war. About tho tlmo tho war closed ho casually romarked ono day that it was a custom In Germany for tho peoplo to scattor flowers on tho graves of soldiers sol-diers onco a year. Nothing moro was said at the tlmo, but it Is bupposcd that tills was roally the origin of Memorial Mem-orial Day. This may or may not bo tho origin of the day, but tho Idea of a special day being sot apart for tho decorating of soldiers' graves bcomod to strike General John A. Logan as a fitting trlbuto from tho nation. This ofllcer was at that tlmo Commander-in-Chief of tho Grand Army of the Republic, Re-public, a society then In its Infancy, and tho organization decided to set apart a day for this purpose Tho day at that tlmo was called Decoration Decora-tion Day, but later it was changed to Memorial Day. Somo wrltors declare that tho day originated In the South, when shortly after tho close of tho war tho good women of that soctlon sot aeido a day when tho graves of all tho soldiors, both of tho Union and Confederate Armies wero decorated with flowers and that they received their Idea from the remark of tho German soldier. These wrltors assert that General Logan, Lo-gan, on learning of this genorous trlbuto trlb-uto of the Southern women, took up tho cause and thus our Memorial Day camo about. Its origin, however, matters little for wo cannot do a moro graceful thing than honor the momorlos of tho departed defenders of the flag and in so doing show not only that wo aro grateful for what they did, but that we love tho nation whoso banner they followed and wish to do something that will provo that wo are worthy of tho namo of Americans. Throughout tho North and West the day Is generally observod on May 30th, whllo April 26th 13 observed In Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, Mis-sissippi, May 10th in North and South Carolina; May 30th In Virginia and Juno 3rd in Louisiana. Tho day In the Southern States Is known as Confederate Momorial Day. A few years ago a movoment was put on foot to morgo both tho North and South into a common Memorial Day. Thoso in favor of thl3 argued that the Spanish-American War has wiped out all sectional feeling and that wo woro now one country and ono flag in reality as well as In namo, but, as yet, nothing noth-ing has boon accomplished in making one day goneral for tho whole country. During Tho Present War In Europe, In recent years' the European countries coun-tries havo made a practice of decorating decorat-ing tho graves of their soldiors on tho anniversaries of noted battlos, reserving reserv-ing All Saints' Day for tho general decoration of graves of all relatives. Belgium has selected tho anniversary of the battlo of Haclen, one of tho early battlos of tho present war, which occurred on August 12, 1914, as a day for paying trlbuto to tho soldier dead. Hundreds of Belgians went to their death in defending tho brldgo over tho Dylc. Two anniversaries of Iho battlo havo passed and on each ono tho Belgians carried wreaths of laurel and flowers to tho cometerles In that strlckon country and covered tho graves of their fallen fellow countrymen country-men with flowers. This was universal In Belgium wherever ono of their soldiors sol-diors was burled. Tho Gorman garrison woro nut to bo outdono and for tho past two anniversaries an-niversaries of tho Battlo of Haolen they, too, have decorated tho graves of their dead who reBt In a special cemetery. Thoy hold a military sorvico sorv-ico at thoir barracks and then repair to tho cemetery with flowers. In various vari-ous parts of Franoo whoro there Is a Gorman occupation tho graves of tho Germans who havo fallen In battlo are visited and a tribute paid to them in tho strowlng of flowers. Tho Fronch, too, havo a Memorial Day, although it scorns that every day flowers are placed on somo of tho graves by tho dovotcd mothers and wives of France. Tho men, too, havo not forgotten their dead comrades and sometimes their entire furlough Is spont In fixing up a comrado's gravo and decorating It with flowers. "Ho died for La Patrlo," means evorythlng that Is noblo to tho Fronch and not to tako caro of tho gravo of a man who died for his country Is a crime in tho eyes of tho Fronch soldier. Anzac Day. Anzac Day, April 25th, marks tho day of tho heroic landing of tho Australians Aus-tralians and New Zealandors on tho Qalllpoll Peninsula and on thl3 day a special servlco Is held In their memory at Westminster Abbey, while in Cairo the British seo to It that the graves of these brave men, who died at the hospital hos-pital In that city from wounds received re-ceived during the unfortunate campaign, cam-paign, are covered with flowers. Great masses of rosos and lilies aro sent to tho barracks and hospitals whoro the mon and nurses mako them Into wreaths and crosses and carry thom to tho graves of tho bravo boys who died so far from home. As fow of tho bodies of tho British soldiors have as yet been sent to England, tho roll of honor, which has been placed upon their homes, is decorated with flowors when thoy dio at tho front Their bodies are burled in tho French ccmo- torlos and cared for by a special do- ;! partmont. At homo tho roll of honor Is decorated. Queen Mary frequently visits these sections and talks to tho relatives. In one section recontly vis ited by tho Queen ono hundred and oloven men went to tho front from sevonty-sovon homes. In Italy tho graves of tho soldiors aro covered with flowors on All Saints' Day. A Italy Is Catholic tho memorial mem-orial day Is religious, as well as pa- I trlotlc. ; Russia's tribute to her soldiers Is ' paid on special Russian holidays and ; is principally carried out by tho women. In Sorbla fow flowers aro used, but on somo special Serbian holidays peo- ! plo go out to tho cemeteries andpaint ' tho insignia of tho regiment to which tho man belonged, on tho tomb a curious custom, but rather interesting i as it 3hows at a glanco Just what part tho dead man played In war. Tho United States is tho only country coun-try which strows flowers on tho water In memory of tho men lost at sea in 1 war. This custom originated In California Cali-fornia a fow years ago and Is now becoming general In our coast cities. Allied Memorial Dny. This year Momorial Day will find us a part of tho great conflict now ' raging on tho Continent of Europe, and if tho plans of a number of Americans Amer-icans residing In London mature it may bo observed as an Allied Memorial Mem-orial Day, when tho Allied nations arrayed against tho Central Powers will Join In floral tributes to those whose lles have boen given that such a calamity may not como again, and ; all will Join in tho prayer that before Memorial Day of next year rolls around, peaco with honor to ourselves and to all who aro fighting tho battU of humanity and civilization may como with as llttlo sacrifice of life as possible. |