The US Embassy in Luxembourg has announced that the annual Memorial Day ceremony will take place at the Luxembourg American Military Cemetery and Memorial in Luxembourg-Hamm on Saturday 28 May 2022 at 13:45.
Hosted by the US Ambassador to Luxembourg, Thomas Barrett, together with the American Battle Monuments Commission, this ceremony will be attended by representatives of the United States (US) and Luxembourg governments and military.
Memorial Day in the US is observed on the last Monday of May and honours the men and women who died while serving in the US military. Memorial Day 2022 will occur on Monday 30 May but it is traditionally marked with a ceremony in Luxembourg the preceding Saturday.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it began following the US Civil War as a remembrance of the fallen from that conflict and was formally recognised in 1868. After World War I, the day came to honour all those who had died in military service and became known as Memorial Day. In 1971, the US Congress established Memorial Day as a federal holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May. Many Americans observe the holiday by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades to remember and show gratitude for those who died in the service of their country.
Representatives of organisations who wish to lay a wreath as part of this year's ceremony are requested to inform the cemetery at the earliest opportunity via email: luxembourg@abmc.gov or via tel.: 431-727. All wreaths must be delivered to the cemetery no later than 10:00 on Saturday 28 May 2022.