Happy Memorial Day!
Reflecting on life as I enjoy doing, holidays often take me back to my childhood. When I was a little girl growing up, my parents and those in their generation referred to Memorial Day as Decoration Day. Opposed to huge barbeques, the opening of swimming pools and blow-out patio summer sales, things associated with Memorial Day, we always took a ride to the cemetery to decorate the graves of loved ones.
I remember planting flowers and placing wreaths on the tombs of the dearly departed. To honor those who had served in the military, small flags on sticks billowed in the breeze over their headstones. There always seemed to be a dark cloud lurking in the sky that day, including a few raindrops and unseasonably cool temperatures. Somewhere over the decades, the last Monday in May turned into a holiday to welcome summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love barbeques and am partaking in one today with all the trimmings. While we no longer decorate the graves, our American flag billows in the breeze every day to salute our country.
Does anyone remember Decoration Day?
13 comments:
My flag is flying out there as we speak. But to tell you the truth it always is!
Have a great holiday. And may summer be awesome for us all!!!
What a lovely idea, Sharon, and a beautiful way to honour those who gave their lives. I hope 'Decoration Day' hasn't died out completely.
Hi Sharon,
I can't say we had Decoration Day where I live. You're right about it being the shift between the end of school and summer, just like Labor Day used to be the shift between the last of summer holiday and the beginning of school. Poor kids nowadays don't even know what it means to not start school until September.
Hope you're doing well. I had checked several times to see if you had a recent blog, since I missed your earlier ones.
All the best,
Julie
Wow, when I clicked on,. there were no comments. Suddenly all three appear. Great minds think alike!
Decoration Day is alive and well here in the Ozarks. The small scattered communities set different Sundays all summer so folks can attend as many as they like. Some of the churches have had to cancel because of no interest by the younger people, but there are still plenty of them going on.
We always had dinner on the ground, lots of singing and preaching as well as decorating the graves.
Sounds like you have the right idea Velda! Three cheers to you and yours.
Julie, my dear chum, so happy to hear from you, always a pleasure. It was just on the media, a news clip featuring a parade where partakers dressed in Civil War uniforms. How cool is that
Mary, bravo to you for flying our American flag every day. Happy summer sweetie
Lyn, sweet friend, thank you for your inspiring words. I hope with all my heart there will always be those who decorate the graves of our loved ones, fallen angels and milirtary heroes.
I was just at the Memorial Day event in my city this morning where they spoke about Declaration Day. They also spoke about the red poppy and its significance. It was nice to see some young people in attendance. I hope we never lose our amazing sense of pride at being Americans.
My school used to have us all (63 kids, 1st thru 8th) gather at the flagpole and recite the Gettysburg address. We also had to write poems about Memorial Day then walk up to the cemetery and put flowers and flags on the graves of any soldier. And at the end of every school day two boys used to take down the flag and fold it.
Lovely, Lynne, just lovely.
Thanks for sharing your childhood memories, Kathy. Awesome.
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