What Does Memorial Day Mean To You and Your Family?

Memorial Day is the unofficial/official kick-off of the Summer season. What does Memorial Day mean to you and your family? It originated as a day of remembrance. I believe lately, its meaning is being overshadowed by the start of Summer. That makes me sad.

This Memorial Day weekend will undoubtedly feature the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers, and the sounds of Summer will be all around you. Its arrival this year is highly anticipated as we are emerging from a pandemic!

Don’t you just love hearing the kids squealing and splashing in pools, the ice cream truck jingling, and the lawnmowers (after 8:00 am, please) humming? What are your sounds of Summer? Do you equate Memorial Day with Summer?

Has anyone in your family served in the military? If so, do you do anything special on Memorial Day?

While I am excited about the start of Summer, I feel the need to remind everyone why Memorial Day is a holiday in the United States. It is not about barbecuing hamburgers and hot dogs. It is about honoring those who died for our freedom.

Are you aware of the history of Memorial Day? It actually has nothing to do with Summer at all.

Our nation has remained independent thanks to the men and women who volunteer to fight for our freedom. Many American lives have been lost in war, and Memorial Day is our way to recognize them formally. The evolution of this day is quite interesting.

Memorial Day originated after the Civil War when more than 620,000 lives were lost. In May of 1868, General John A. Logan decreed that May 30th should become a nationwide day of commemoration. It was a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers, specifically from the Civil War. Hence, it was officially dubbed Decoration Day.

For fifty years, Decoration Day commemorated only those killed during the Civil War. It was not until after World War I that it was changed to recognize all soldiers killed in any war. In the 1970s, during the Vietnam war, Memorial Day became an official national holiday.

It’s ironic to me that such a solemn holiday has become associated with such a joyous time of year. The kids are done with school right before Memorial Day, and Summer camps open right after Memorial Day. Vacation time starts the week of Memorial Day. All good things, right?

When I was younger, I loved Memorial Day. We would go to a parade and get ice cream after. Side note — why is my youth always tied to food? Anyway, my point is, I associated Memorial Day with fun, and most people I know do the same.

Yet, dying in battle is not fun. Losing a son, daughter, spouse, etc., is definitely not something that could ever be described as fun. I wish this holiday was somewhere else on the calendar. I think its meaning gets lost, and it’s not right.

Do you agree we should honor those who have sacrificed and died for this country? How can we make sure to do this?

Here are a couple of things you can do:

• Write a letter(s) to a current serviceman/woman. https://www.operationgratitude.com/express-your-thanks-virtual/write-letters-virtual/
• Send flowers to a military gravesite https://www.memorialdayflowers.org/flower-placement-program/
• Fly the American Flag on Memorial Day. The flag should be flown at half-staff from dawn until noon and raised for the rest of the day. https://www.thoughtco.com/memorial-day-flag-protocol

Or, if you are at a picnic or barbeque, you might want to observe the National Moment of Remembrance. It is an annual national event asking that at 3 pm local time, Americans pause for a one-minute moment of silence to remember those who have died in military service to the United States.

In addition to enjoying hamburgers and hotdogs, let’s all try and respect this holiday. Please make sure that all family members understand the meaning of the day. If you would like additional information regarding Memorial Day, please click on this link for an informative article https://news.yahoo.com/forgotten-history-memorial-day-143237128.html.

Enjoy your long weekend! God bless America, and thank you to all who are and have served our country. We will forever be indebted to you!