Memorial Day Weekend 2024: Events, Parades Around Moorestown

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown's Memorial Day Ceremony is part of the nation's nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to U.S. military personnel who died while serving.

The Parks and Recreation Department's 38th annual ceremony is at 10 a.m. Monday (Memorial Day) at Memorial Field. The event is rain of shine.

Here are some other events and parades nearby:

Cinnaminson Township Memorial Day Service

• When: Friday, May 24, at 5 p.m.
• Where: in front of the Municipal Building (1621 Riverton Rd., Cinnaminson)
• More info.

Riverside Township Memorial Day Parade

• When: Monday, May 27, at 9:30 a.m. (lineup at 9 a.m.)
• Where: See the parade route.

Mount Holly Joint Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony

• When: Monday, May 27, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Where: Veterans' Park, Mount Holly
• More info.

Memorial Day Skate

• When: Monday, May 27, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Where: Millenium Skate World (1900 Carman St., Camden)
• More info.

Glassboro's Memorial Day Parade

• When: Monday, May 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (military flyover at 10:22 a.m.)
• Where: Downtown Glassboro
• See more info on the parade and military flyover.

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.