Observing Memorial Day can involve several types of events and celebrations. Its original purpose was, and still is, to honor those who’ve served our nation in uniform from the Revolutionary War to today’s international conflicts.
Another purpose is for families and friends to gather together and celebrate the first warm-weather holiday weekend of the year with picnics and other enjoyable activities. Of course, it's entirely appropriate to do both, and here are some suggestions for observing this special holiday weekend:
1. Church/community/school: Attend memorial and prayer services scheduled at one or more locations. If there are ceremonies scheduled at memorial statues or nearby military cemetery, make a family pilgrimage to participate in honor events for those who’ve served. If graves of relatives are there, hold special family observances for that honored person.
2. Remembrances: While enjoying Memorial Day picnics or barbeques at home, take time to gather together, including the children, to go over the history of family members who’ve served. Leaf through photo scrapbooks and identify their wartime experiences and places. If the veteran or still-serving GI is present at the gathering, have him/her conduct a question-answer session with the children.
3. Visit those who’ve served: Arrange a family trip to a veterans’ hospital or retirement home. Call in advance to find out what food, gifts or other items you can bring to the Memorial Day observance there. Also in advance, make it a project for your children to draw and write holiday greeting cards to give to the individual veterans.
4. Write to a GI: In advance of Memorial Day, contact the Red Cross, USO or other organization that helps GIs. Ask what you can do to recognize individual GIs who may have no family connections for celebrating the holiday. It may involve sending Email greetings, packaged foods and other gifts.
5. Family excursion: In addition to recognizing the true meaning of Memorial Day in various ways, the family (or couple) may also decide to celebrate the weekend holiday by spending it at a beach resort, on a forest or mountain trek, by taking a weekend cruise or just by relaxing together at a barbeque picnic in the backyard.
There are many ways to observe Memorial Day, and each of them should have the basic theme of appreciation for those who’ve served and sacrificed to preserve our nation. Along with that responsibility, we can also share the thankfulness that we can gather together in peace and freedom.