Editing Memorial Day (section)

== Claimed origins ==
[[File:Tomb of the Unknowns.jpg|thumb|The [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington)|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]]]]
A variety of cities and people have claimed origination of Memorial Day.<ref name="Today in History - May 30" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cem.va.gov/history/Memorial-Day-History.asp |title=Memorial Day History |website=U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs |access-date=October 30, 2019 |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527111330/https://www.cem.va.gov/history/Memorial-Day-History.asp |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klein |first=Christopher |title=Where Did Memorial Day Originate? |url=https://www.history.com/news/where-did-memorial-day-originate |access-date=May 30, 2022 |website=History.com |date=May 25, 2016 |archive-date=May 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530190108/https://history.com/news/where-did-memorial-day-originate |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Center for Civil War Research |url=https://www.civilwarcenter.olemiss.edu/memorial_day.shtml |access-date=May 30, 2022 |website=www.civilwarcenter.olemiss.edu |archive-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519021637/https://www.civilwarcenter.olemiss.edu/memorial_day.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> In some such cases, the claims relate to documented events, occurring before or after the Civil War. Others may stem from general traditions of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers, rather than specific events leading to the national proclamation.<ref>{{cite web |first=Mary |last=L'Hommedieu Gardiner |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UwJaAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA296 |title=The Ladies Garland |page=296 |volume=6 |publisher=J. Libby |date=1842 |access-date=May 31, 2014 |via=[[Google Books]] |archive-date=September 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919053342/https://books.google.com/books?id=UwJaAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA296 |url-status=live }}</ref> Soldiers' graves were decorated in the U.S. before<ref>In 1817, for example, a writer in the ''[[Analectic Magazine]]'' of Philadelphia urged the decoration of patriot's graves. E.J., "The Soldier's Grave", in ''The Analectic Magazine'' (1817), Vol. 10, 264.</ref> and during the [[American Civil War]]. Other claims may be less respectable, appearing to some researchers as taking credit without evidence, while erasing better-evidenced events or connections.<ref name="The Origins of Memorial Day">[https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/memorial-day/ "The Origins of Memorial Day"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119043212/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/memorial-day/ |date=January 19, 2022 }} Snopes.com, May 25, 2018</ref><ref name=":0" />