Around Town -- Lee-Jackson Day Lexington, Virginia, Friday & Saturday, January 16 & 17, Lexington, Virginia. Celebrate the lives of two great heroes and most noteworthy citizens of Lexington, Virginia - Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson! Join us as we honor not only their military genius, but their personal lives, faith, and character. Events include the Lee-Jackson Symposium, a wreath laying and military salute in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery at the gravesite of General Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson, the Lee-Jackson Day Parade, a memorial service at Lexington Presbyterian Church, and the Lee-Jackson Day Gala (lunch & dance). Lee-Jackson Day is a holiday recognized in several States of the American South. The holiday is celebrated in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. In Texas, it is known as Confederate Heroes Day. In Virginia it is a state holiday which falls on the Friday before the third Monday of January. The holiday was originally created in 1889 to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee who was born on January 19, 1807. The holiday was put into effect by Governor Fitzhugh Lee who was a nephew of the general and had been a Confederate general himself. In 1904 the holiday was changed to include a tribute to Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson who was born on January 21, 1824. The change was made under the administration of Governor Andrew Jackson Montague. During the 1970s, Virginia had commemorated the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on New Year’s Day, however in 1983 Virginia adopted the Federal commemoration date and combined it with an existing holiday to create Lee-Jackson-King Day. In the year 2000, after much debate about the relevance of having the two holidays combined, the holidays were again separated with Lee-Jackson Day falling on the Friday before the holiday honoring King. More info >>> leejacksonday.webs/. Reservations for some events required by Tuesday, January 13, 2015. See Event Schedule tab of website. See also virginia.org/Listings/EventsAndExhibits/ANNUALLeeJacksonDayRemembrance/.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 22:40:00 +0000
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