Confederate Memorial Day is in May. Here's what to know about the controversial 'holiday.'

Staff reports

Those driving into South Carolina are met with quite the sight on Interstate 85.

Flying atop a 120-foot flagpole is a Confederate Flag, a very unwelcome greeting for the estimated 80,400 travelers who see it every day.

The 30-by-50-foot flag on the Teaberry Road property has overlooked I-85 and Highway 221 since Oct. 22, 2022. In its wake, it has sparked much heated debate among residents, with property owners and Spartanburg County battling whether it has the right to remain standing out in the courts.

South Carolina is one of five states in the nation to recognize Confederate Memorial Day as a holiday. This year, the holiday will take place on Friday, May 10.

Those unfamiliar with the holiday will want to learn more about its controversy, history, and how it is observed.

What other states consider Confederate Memorial Day an official state holiday?

Confederate Memorial Day is a state holiday in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and is held on the fourth Monday in April, according to timeanddate. It is observed in Mississippi on the last Monday in April. In North Carolina and South Carolina, the holiday falls on May 10.

In Texas, the holiday is known as Confederate Heroes' Day and is held on January 19. Workers receive one day off if the holiday coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

A small crowd gathered for the Confederate Memorial Day program at Clemson University in Military Plaza on May 10, 2004.
A small crowd gathered for the Confederate Memorial Day program at Clemson University in Military Plaza on May 10, 2004.

Why is the day observed?

The holiday is used to remember those who died fighting for the Confederate States during the Civil War and was first observed in a number of areas just after 1866.

Arkansas and Texas have joint celebrations of the birthdays of General Robert E. Lee, commander of a Confederate army, and Martin Luther King Jr., an African American civil rights leader. The joint celebration is held on the third Monday in January. In Texas, the holiday is known as Confederate Heroes' Day and is held on January 19. Workers receive one day off if the holiday coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to timeandate.

May 10 is the anniversary of Confederate General Thomas Jonathan 'Stonewall' Jackson's death and the capture of Jefferson Davis in 1865. The day is recognized by North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans organization in Pennysylvania commemorates those who died fighting for the Confederates. In Virginia, the lives of Confederate soldiers are honored on Memorial Day.

How is the day observed?

The controversial holiday is observed in the following ways:

∎ Civil War battle re-enactments in historical costume

∎ Church services

∎ Displays of Civil War relics

∎ Placing of flags and wreaths on Confederate soldier graves and memorials

Kathy Clark, of Lantana, part of Daughters of the Confederacy the Margaret Mitchell Chapter, whose great-great-grandfather James Rowsey, of Virginia, was a Confederate soldier who died in the Civil War, places carnations on the graves of soldiers before the start of the 11th annual South Florida Confederate Memorial Day at Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach April 2006. The motorcade traveled through seven counties from Dade in the south and Indian River in the north placing carnations on 171 graves. There are 20 confederate soldiers buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.

How will SC observe the day?

SC government and state houses will be closed for the most part to observe the holiday.

A Confederate flag is still flying on the morning of April 15, 2024 near Interstate 85 at the exit 78 which is the Hwy 221 Chesnee exit in Spartanburg County.
A Confederate flag is still flying on the morning of April 15, 2024 near Interstate 85 at the exit 78 which is the Hwy 221 Chesnee exit in Spartanburg County.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Confederate Memorial Day in SC is May 10, 2024

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