Older Adults
When is Memorial Day 2024?
Learn About the True Meaning of the Long Weekend
Memorial Day Facts, Traditions, Meaning, and More
By Catherine Boeckmann
Take a moment to learn the true meaning of Memorial Day. It’s important to recognize the difference between this federal holiday and Veterans Day (especially for vets). Also, learn why it was originally called Decoration Day, why the red poppy is a symbol, and when to fly the flag.
When Is Memorial Day 2024?
This U.S. federal holiday is observed on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military. It was formerly known as Decoration Day.
In 2024, Memorial Day will be observed on Monday, May 27.
What’s the Difference Between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?
On both Memorial Day and Veterans Day, it’s customary to spend time remembering and honoring the countless veterans who have served the United States throughout the country’s history. However, there is a distinction between the two holidays:
Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
You’ll find that some veterans find it dismaying when they are thanked on this day. It’s a time remembering those who lost their lives and could not come home. We might consider how we can support and safeguard their grieving families and loved ones who are left behind, as well as reflecting on why we—the living—have the luxury and freedom that we enjoy today.
Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL who served in the United States Armed Forces—in wartime or peacetime—regardless of whether they died or survived. Veterans Day is always observed officially on November 11, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. Read more about Veterans Day.
Older Adults
When is Memorial Day 2024?
Learn About the True Meaning of the Long Weekend
Memorial Day Facts, Traditions, Meaning, and More
By Catherine BoeckmannFlying Old Glory
Flag etiquette on Memorial Day is unique. At sunrise, flags are to be raised to full staff briskly, then lowered to a half-staff position, where they will remain until noon.
Traditionally, on Memorial Day (U.S.), volunteers often place small American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. Consider visiting a local cemetery to place flags; many organizations would be grateful for volunteers. Contact your local American Legion post, Daughters of the American Revolution, or Boy or Girl Scouts troops.
Memorial Day Facts and History
The custom of honoring ancestors by cleaning cemeteries and decorating graves is an ancient and worldwide tradition. In early rural America, it was usually performed in summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics.
The ritual of visiting family graves and memorials was never a morbid tradition. Rather, it was an annual act of remembrance, as well as a chance to clean and decorate family memorials. Often, families would picnic as well; cemeteries were often the only open green spaces in crowded cities.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, starting with the American Civil War. It’s believed that the tradition of honoring the dead was inspired by the way Southern states decorated the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags.
Several cities and towns across the country lay claim as the first to observe Decoration Day. On May 5, 1866, Waterloo, New York, hosted its own communitywide event that, in 1966, led to President Lyndon Johnson declaring the town as the birthplace of Decoration Day.
Meanwhile, on May 5, 1868, inspired by the suggestion of veteran Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (a fraternal organization of Union Civil War veterans), issued General Order No. 11, designating the 30th of May as an annual day of remembrance. The idea caught on.
With the Civil War, America’s need to honor its military dead became prominent as monuments were raised and ceremonies centering on the decoration of soldiers’ graves were held in towns and cities throughout the nation.
After World War I, Decoration Day included all fallen soldiers, not just those from the Civil War, and the term “Memorial Day” started being used. By World War II, Memorial Day became the term in more common usage across different states, adopting resolutions to make it an official holiday.
When is Memorial Day 2024?
for Active Older Adults
Learn About the True Meaning of the Long Weekend
Memorial Day Facts, Traditions, Meaning, and More
By Catherine Boeckmann
Finally, in 1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress. When the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, a few federal holidays were moved to Monday to create three-day weekends; Memorial Day was set to occur on the last Monday in May.
Since it all started with the Civil War, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of this event by visiting the Library of Congress Civil War collection, which includes more than a thousand photographs from the time.
Why Is The Poppy A Symbol of Memorial Day?
In the war-torn battlefields of Europe, the common red field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) was one of the first plants to reappear. Its seeds scattered in the wind and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground was disturbed—as it was by the very brutal fighting of World War 1.
John McCrae, a Canadian soldier and physician, witnessed the war firsthand and was inspired to write the now-famous poem “In Flanders Fields” in 1915. (See below for the poem.) He saw the poppies scattered throughout the battlefield surrounding his artillery position in Belgium.
The Poppy Lady
In November 1918, days before the official end of the war, an American professor named Moina Michael wrote her own poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith,” which was inspired by McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields.” In her poem (also shown below), she mentioned wearing the “ poppy red” to honor the dead, and with that, the tradition of adorning one ’ s clothing with a single red poppy in remembrance of those killed in the Great War was born. Moina herself came to be known—and honored—as “The Poppy Lady.”
The Symbol Spreads Abroad
The poppy was traditionally worn on Memorial Day in the United States, but the symbolism has evolved to encompass all veterans, living and deceased, so that poppies may be worn on Veterans Day as well. Not long after the custom began, it was adopted by other Allied nations, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, where it is still popular today. In these countries, the poppy is worn on Remembrance Day (November 11).
Today, poppies are not only a symbol of the loss of life but also of recovery and new life, especially in support of the servicemen who survived the war but suffered from physical and psychological injuries long after it ended.
TEXTBOOK DEFINITION
Mother: (noun)
One person who does the work of 20. For free
YEP, DEFINITELY A MOM
You know you ' re a mom when... ...picking up another human to smell their butt is not only normal but totally necessary
SQUEAKY CLEAN-ISH
Cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth with Oreos.
FOR MOTHER’S DAY: MY MOM TAUGHT ME …
Logic: “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.
” Humor: “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.
” Justice: “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you’ll see what it’s like!”
Source: thestir.cafemom.com
MOM'S CALL
I was sound asleep when the telephone jarred me awake.
"Hi!" It was my peppy mother-in-law. She proceeded to rattle on about the busy day she had ahead and all the things that awaited her the rest of the week.
"Mom," I interrupted. "It's five in the morning."
"Really? What are you doing up so early?"
