Decoration Day
1
7.4
- noun
- /ˌdɛkəˈreɪʃən deɪ/
- Archaic
:
Día de la Decoración
- He established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers and declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30.
Examples
-
In the past, Decoration Day was specifically linked to honoring those lost during the Civil War before becoming Memorial Day.
-
They discussed the events on Decoration Day, when Exeter residents adorned the town's cemeteries.
Blog text (1) -
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.
Blog text (1) -
It was formerly known as Decoration Day.
Blog text (13) -
A week later, at four o'clock on Decoration Day, Eva, Howard, and William finally made their way to the narrow stairs leading down from the elevated promenade to the New York end of the bridge.
Fiction book (1995) -
Thousands paid a penny on Decoration Day to stroll along the elevated promenade of the week-old New York–Brooklyn Bridge.
Fiction book (1995) -
Decoration Day is celebrated every year to honor those who sacrificed their lives in service of the Decoration Day.
-
Families gather to remember fallen soldiers on Decoration Day, reflecting on their bravery and dedication.
Synonyms
35
1.3
A United States holiday on the last Monday in May to honor soldiers who died in war
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'decoration' (a medal/act of honoring) and 'day' (a day set aside), so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer it denotes a day for honoring or giving decorations. However, the precise historical/cultural sense — specifically the U.S. Memorial Day commemorating war dead — is culturally specific and not fully predictable from the constituents alone, making the phrase only partially transparent.
Etymology
Decoration Day got its name from the old practice of putting flowers and flags on soldiers' graves to decorate them after the wars. That's why the day was for honoring the dead and later became the holiday now called 'Memorial Day'.