Forgotten Holiday

The folks at Peach Pundit reminded readers today that yesterday was Confederate Memorial Day in Georgia. It was certainly news to me as there was nothing in the newspapers, on radio, television or my state Internet sources. Someone, somewhere must have celebrated something, but it is a sign of the times, of the New South, that nothing made the news. It's just as well for me as I have no personal connections to the Confederacy, but I did marry into a family with deep roots - nine generations - in Virginia history. In the same way that General Robert E. Lee chose loyalty to Virginia rather than the United States, they have chosen loyalty to Virginia rather than the Confederacy. With that said, Confederate Memorial Day can slip easily from memory.

My suspicion is that this holiday is about to regain some stature, especially in the historic landmark cities and rural South where time has slowed and attitudes, opinions, and beliefs persist well into old age. It is a reflection of the fact that the nation has both come a long way from the Civil War and yet not very far. The spark for this revival is the sesquicentennial of the Civil War - War of Northern Aggression or War Between the States, if you're "from these parts" - which will begin April 11, 2011. On that date and for the next four years, those in the South should have many opportunities to see colorful events associated with the commemoration. At the same time, Americans will have time to reflect on the never ending debate on the causes and effects of that conflict. It will be interesting to see how the history and conclusions about it compare with the interpretations of fifty years ago.

[The illustration is the First National Flag of the Confederacy - the Stars and Bars - adopted in 1861 and replaced in 1863. Replace the circle of stars with the Georgia State Seal and you have the official stage flag of Georgia, adopted in 2004. The more things change the more they remain the same.]