I have been looking forward to the three-day weekend coming up for a long time. This year, I'm hosting a big cookout at my house for family and friends. The pools re-open, I get a free day off of work and more importantly, summer begins!
It dawned on me as I sat down to write this post, that the true meaning of Memorial day is often lost. Most people know that Memorial Day is to honor soldiers who have died in combat, but did you know that a national moment of remembrance, in the form of a moment of silence, takes place at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time? Another tradition is to fly the flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Many people observe the holiday by visiting graves and cemeteries to honor family members who have died. Hundreds of volunteers place American flags on veteran grave sites across the country.
Both of my Grandpa's are WWII veterans. I remember how seriously my grandma took Memorial Day and her responsibilities to honor my Grandpa, the flag and our country. I realize that those duties have been lost on my generation, in lieu of BBQ, beer and the Indy 500. It made me realize that it is time to step up to the plate. So, this weekend, I pledge to do something to honor my grandpa's and others who have died in service of this country. My question to you this week is "How do you celebrate Memorial Day? Do you do anything to honor it's true meaning?" Answers are due no later than Wednesday, May 28th, 2014. To those of you that have volunteered to serve our country so that life is better for all of us - I honor and salute you! Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!
I celebrate ANZAC day and the day of remembrance, along with some Hungarian remembrance days. I find it weird America doesn't do the minute of silence for Memorial day.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's nice that service men and women get certain discounts and such the entire month of May.
I pay homage by drinking as much as possible to honor the freedom bestowed upon me by those who died for this country. I think that's how many of them would have wanted us to honor them.
ReplyDeleteI'll give a shout out to some army buddies and spend time with family. And just reflect on what I seen overseas and thank God I'm an an American.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX5ZRE26YWM&feature=kp
I celebrate Memorial Day by BBQ and hangout with my family. No I don't really celebrate the true meaning of it. Its like a mini vacation for me.
ReplyDeletei usually go visit family and go to a cookout, but other than that i don't really do anything.
ReplyDeleteI celebrate Memorial Day on the river. Its usually the first big float trip to start off the summer. But, I make damn sure my flags are out and properly lit. I also make sure to have stars and stripes everywhere around the house. I put little tiny flags by our retaining wall so the boats and people in tubes that float down the river can get a little reminder of what it is all about.
ReplyDeleteI celebrate Memorial Day by going and spending time with family and friends.
ReplyDeleteI spend the day with family and friends. We'll have a BBQ or go to the pool.
ReplyDeleteBethany Blake
I celebrated my memorial day with friends and family. it was a relaxing 3 day weekend.
ReplyDeleteI celebrated my memorial day by giving them the best restaurant/movie experience at my job! Veterans do not need celebrations for their achievements, but rather recognition that our everyday freedom is acquired by everyday sacrifice--sacrifice of time, money, and lives of those who put their people before themselves.
ReplyDeleteCedric Shirley
Celebrated by spending time with others at housing....
ReplyDeleteI celebrated my memorial day by remembering all my family and friends who have served in the military. I was able to take my kids to their great grandparents grave sites and explain to them how they both had served our country and was able to celebrate by enjoying my family time.
ReplyDeleteWe have a a bbqin honor of my uncle and grandpa and we visit grave sites
ReplyDeleteMy Grandfathers also have served in WWII. They were the best men I had ever known and they are my hero's. Unfortunately I did not make it to their graves for the ceremony. But my mother and I had spoken of my grandpas, funny and good things not just about the war they served in because they didn't really talk about it. I'm sure it was because they just simply didn't want to.
ReplyDeleteI respect the things these soldiers did and i thank them for what they did, but i am not American and cannot say that i celebrate. I have no reason too so to me its just an off day.
ReplyDeleteI celebrate my memorials day by grillin and chillin mostly, I spend time with my family, have fun, and enjoying everyone's company.
ReplyDeleteThis year I spent my Memorial Day with my family. I had dinner with my wife and my parents. My father, a Marine himself, and I never even acknowledged the day verbal. I believe we knew that Memorial Day isn't for us, we are still around, it is a day for those who are no longer with us. It is sometimes lost how blindly the volunteers who enlist in our armed forces follow orders and lose their lives for something greater than themselves. It is nice to have a day to remember all the fallen.
ReplyDeleteThis Memorial Day I went home to spend it with my family food and laughs. Its always a good time with my family so much love but most importantly seeing my niece and little sister my 2 little kids I love to death.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I don't celebrate it. I normally have to work on Memorial Day.
ReplyDeleteI spent this Memorial Day camping with my girlfriend and her family, and spent time relaxing and and living free because of what our veterans fought for. I thanked my grandpa for his services in vietnam and for being an amazing grandpa.
ReplyDeletei spent memorial day to go to the guitar shop to get my electric guitar fixed. so i played all day
ReplyDeleteI spend Memorial day with my family at our lake house. Our family sits around and tells stories about my grandpa that has served in the Marine Corp. and talk about how he fought for us to have the life we have today.
ReplyDeleteI feel Memorial Day is more about family and for some, having an extra day off than honoring our fallen soldiers and those that have devoted their lives for our freedom.
I was working memorial day at the racetrack in the gift shop, so i really did not get much time to do anything except deal with customers complaining to me about things that are out of my control.
ReplyDeleteOn Memorial Day itself, I really wasn't able to celebrate, but on the previous Sunday, my grandmother (mom's mom) took me to visit my grandfather's (dad's dad) grave.
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ReplyDeleteCertainly! We ought to thank veterans for a lot of things, among which is their contribution to the continued existence of our country. The least they should attain is a guarantee that them and their families would be provided for from now on. It's the least we can do for them.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Pierce @ Jan Dils