Varies from state to state
Observed in memory of the Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War, Confederate Memorial Day is widely observed in the southern United States. It grew out of a number of smaller, more localized responses to the bloodshed of the War between the States. In Vicksburg, Mississippi, for example, a group of women got together in 1865 to decorate the graves of more than 18,000 men who had been killed during the siege of Vicksburg. A similar event took place the following year in Columbus, Mississippi, where the women laid magnolia blossoms on the graves of the enemy soldiers as well. Today, the last Monday in April is a legal holiday in Mississippi.
The dates on which Confederate Memorial Day is observed vary from state to state and are often linked to some local historical event. In Texas it is called Confederate Heroes Day, and is observed on January 19, Robert E. Lee's birthday. Alabama (April 23), Florida (April 23), Georgia (Monday nearest April 26), and South Carolina (May 10) also observe Confederate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. In Tennessee (June 3), the day is a special observance.
