A national holiday with roots dating back to the end of the Civil War, Memorial Day celebrations epitomize the diversity of America with a wide array of traditions from somber graveside services, lively cookouts, downtown parades, three day weekend mini-vacations, patriotic flag flying, popular road races, heavy traffic, festive pool parties, major sporting events, huge retail sales on every conceivable item, the commencement of summer, to a nationwide moment of silence, all set forth on a day to commemorate those who lost their lives in military service to the United States.
If you could establish a Memorial Day tradition in your family or community, what would it be?
Kristen Davis-online
ReplyDeleteMy family actually has a Memorial Day tradition already in place. Every year my mom rents a condo in Florida and she, my best friend, who might as well be my sister, and I spend from the Thursday before Memorial Day until the Tuesday after in Panama City. This year was the fourth year in a row we've done that and prior to that before my grandparents filled in their pool we would always have a big cookout.
Amber Taylor
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in West Virginia we used to have a memorial day parade.Everyone would come out then cookout in the evening at the lake. Memorial Day was always fun back then. This year I had a cookout at my apartment with family and friends. That is a tradition that most familys do during Memorial Day. If I could establish a new tradition for my family it would be to start family a reunion on Memorial Day weekend.
Angela Carrozza
ReplyDeleteMy family and I have had a Memorial Day tradition for about 3 years now. Since my dad is in the Georgia State Defense Force, we go to the Marietta National Cemetery and listen to former service men and women speak. This year I changed things up for myself and just went on a houseboat to lake lanier!
Scotty Hendricks said...
ReplyDeleteMy family already has a Memorial Day tradition to have a cookout and go shopping. With my friends we generally go to the pool and swim also.
I bought a car on memorial day this year. Don't think I want to do that every year though... might get kinda pricey. If i could start a memorial day tradition, I think I would like to see my neighborhood do more community wide cookouts or picnics. Our neighborhood used to try to do picnics and cookouts for the whole neighborhood for a while, but it never got a good response. Our neighborhood park was destroyed during the flooding that happend not too long ago and they are still trying to do repairs on it... with city budgets the way they are now (broke) it may be a while until they finish it. Anyway.. yeah... more community picnics on Memorial day... that'd be good.
ReplyDelete-sabrina N. t/th 6 p.m.
Having family and close friends together and acknowledging and thanking everyone who has served and is serving in the military is a tradition of ours. We usually end the day with hanging out and having a cook out. I would love for it not to just be another holiday, a day off from work, or an excuse for a party.
ReplyDeleteMy family and I already have a memorial day tradition. We go out to the lake and have a cookout. Recently, more and more people have been joining us such as more friends and more family. It's always a fun time and it usually wears us out for the next day!
ReplyDeletelillian (online)
ReplyDeleteI have a Memorial day tradition. For the past 4 years, my siblings and I meet every year in Florida and spend quality time with our mother. We BBQ, have a few cocktails and reminisce. My mother makes us her delicious home cook meals, and we have fun.
Honestly, I actually did something completly different this Memorial Day that I have never done with any other. I played some board games with a good family of friends. One game we played was Settlers of Catan. One word, amazing! All kinds of fun and strategic thought thrown in. It is a type of Risk style game but not as long lasting. And as I do every year I concentrate on spending time with those I appreciate most(though it can only be the ones who stay in town).
ReplyDeleteBrent Reese
Tues/Thurs 8pm
Of course, this is one of those holidays I always have to work. I always seem to have a job that is open on Memorial Day and other holidays. I would like to go back to the days when my family would take off to the beach! That would be great.
ReplyDeleteKasey Waters(online)-
ReplyDeleteThe past two years on memorial day i have went to the opening of the pool at the YMCA with my boyfriend. So i guess it is kinda a tradition. I would like for my family to spend more time together though. I hardly see my sister. I try to get her to come to the pool. I would settle for a cookout after the pool though. So my tradition i want is to go to the pool and have a nice cookout afterwards so i can spend more time with my family(well my sister i see my parents all the time).
If I could establish a memorial day tradition in the family it would be to get together at the family lake house and spend the 3 day weekend filled with cook-outs, jet skiing and just being together.
ReplyDeleteKarie Manton - Online
ReplyDeleteI guess the tradition I would like to start would be a full weekend spent on Tybee Island with friends and all my family. Then a picnic on the beach until after the sun sets. The perfect weekend.
Sardia Irvine
ReplyDeleteA tradition my family has for memorial day week is usually we would go vacationing somewhere because my mom owns a timeshare and my kids are on summer break. We usually go somewhere in the Carribean or Florida but this year we went to the North Carolina mountains. It was different but nice. Next year I want to go back somewhere with a beach!
Lisa W.
ReplyDeleteMy family doesn't have any Memorial Day traditions. It would be great though, if we could use the day off for a family get together and have a cookout and play some games. My family doesn't come together often. All the children are older now, except for my two-year-old sister. We have a huge family, so it's hard to get everyone together at once. Everyones always going their different ways, or fighting with each other, like most families. It would be fun for us all to hangout for an entire afternoon.
The only tradition my family and I have is cooking out. My dad always grills hot dogs, burgers, and this year he also added BBQ chicken and pork chops to the mix. It was quite tasty! :)
ReplyDeleteAlexis Gregory
ReplyDeleteEvery Memorial Day my whole family gets together at my parents house for a cookout, games, and swimming. We have been doing this for years, it is nice for all of us to come together. If I could establish a Memorial Day tradition it would be for the whole community to come together and for all of us in some way honor the men and women who are/have served for us!
My family usually only gets together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day are usually spent with close friends. I typically end up working every Holiday except for Christmas, so it is just another day for me. However, I do appreciate every thing or current soldiers and veterans have done for us and I love what Memorial Day stands for.
ReplyDeleteRuth Njunge (online)
ReplyDeleteMemorial weekend has always been a day to spend with friends, go on cabins or a short trip. This does not mean that i dont have respect for thr soldiers i do, and thats why i take a day off to remember them.
Shana M.(Online)
ReplyDeleteMy family and friends do have a Memorial Day tradition. We usually get together and cook out and just hang out and enjoy one anothers company. This year my daughter was sick so we were unable to do much. We still managed to cookout though, but we did not have as much company. Nobody wants to start the summer off sick.
Andrew Salak
ReplyDeleteMy family tradition used to be going to my Uncle's house for a big pig roast with other friends and family, he rents a moonwalk for the kids and drunk adults, we play volleyball and he rents a karaoke machine, again for the kids and drunk adults. But since I've been living here in Ga I just work every memorial day and my family just sits around. And we don't really like any of our neighbors except one so I think planning an event within the community would be taken as a joke. lol
Shawna
ReplyDeleteEvery memorial day or usually every except this rainy one my friends and family usually get together and go out on the lake and have a cook out and just have a good time.... i believe i will keep that tradition because its just a good time and relaxing and also i bought 2 new pairs of shoes!!!! Gah i love holiday sales :-) anyhow the boating thing will always probably be what i do with my family and if not that we will probably just do the cook out thing and buy some shoes i know its not patriotic but its just nice to see everyone i love
Christina Irazaba
ReplyDeleteI would like for my family to take a small trip. Anywhere just to get away from the usual. Although we try and do this, every year doesn't happen but it would be nice if we could. Of course include a cook out and just some quality time spend with the family.
Deanna P.
ReplyDeleteMy family usually has a barbeque at our house and we invite our neighbors and friends over for food and drinks at our pool. Everyone brings a dish and we all relax and have a good time. Someone usually brings some fireworks too so naturally we set those off. It's just a nice time spent with great people.
E. Chappell
ReplyDeleteMy family and I always go to my Grandparents house for Memorial Day to cookout. My parents and my sister and I go, along with my aunt and uncle and cousins. I it so much fun hanging out with all of them. This year, we didnt get to do that though. My Grandparens, being the travelers that they are were on an Alaskan cruise on Memorial Day. We grilled out at my parents house instead, and it just wasnt the same! :)
Nadia
ReplyDeletewe dont have a memorial day in pakistani culture, but here in usa we do celebrate my husband and his two brother close their business early, so we have a big fam,ily get together BBQ party.
felicia cleveland-online
ReplyDeleteOur family celebrate Memorial day with a barbecue and it is also the time we include that day to celebrate people missing from our family like my father and my grandmother.
Kelly Krieg
ReplyDeleteI think it would be great to honor the people serving our country now. I think a good community tradition would be to have a drop box for thank you cards to send overseas to the soldiers. We could have thank you cards there and take donations that would go toward the postage to get the cards there. I love the BBQ on Memorial day too!
Daniela velez(online) I don't celebrate memorial day at all. I didn't grew up with that tradition. I only have benn living in the US for 2 years and the only thing i did in memorial day was work! i work in the bakery so it was pretty busy selling rolls, bread dessert etc!
ReplyDeleteI would get my family and friends together to volunteer and also try to get everyone to visit my granfathers grave because he was in the service but being that his grave is so far noone goes to see him. I would just like to spend more time with my family and honor my grandfather on memorial day.
ReplyDeleteLiberty (Online)
ReplyDeleteWe have hit or miss schedules in my family. The boys and I went to a family and friends cook out/pool party. I think that the pool parties are a great tradition because Memorial Day is the weekend to open the pools. I did have to explain the holiday to my oldest this year. So, we spent a little time talking about the soldiers past and present and the sacrifices that are made to keep us safe and free.
Jennifer O'Dea (Online)
ReplyDeleteI would really love for my husband and I to define memorial day for what it truly is to our children- especially since my husband and many other family members and friends are veterans or are still in active service. After seeing the sacrifices that are made by others- and the sacrifices that we ourselves have endured- the nine months or more each year that we have spect with my husband over seas, I want my children to see memorial day for more than just a cook- out, day at the beach, or even a three day weekend. It is a reflection of sacrifices made by the men and woman of our nation from the very beginning- and with out that we would not even be hear. One day set aside per year to remember them does not even begin to do them justice. This year we went to old fort niagara- in niagara falls- to learn and remember those who fought in the french and indian war, and that in 1812. Next year it would be nice to take the kids to gettysburg- or if not even just a memorial day service. The cookout can come later.
Cathryn Long (online)
ReplyDeleteI would spend a day with my family watching war movies and recognizing what has been sacrificed for my family's freedom. This past Memorial Day I watched the movie "Taking Chance", and I was very touched by this movie. I recommend it to anyone who has not seen it! Sometimes we take for granted the very things that we should pay tribute to, so instead of just another holiday weekend to spend at the beach, this is what I would do.
Memorial Day I try my best to convince my husband, who is obsessed with bbq not to cookout and invite fifty eleven people to our house and go broke trying to feed all of them and buy them beer. I was successful this year (YEA!) I was not so lucky last year (BOO!)
ReplyDeleteIf I could establish a Memorial day tradition in my family, it could be a family reunion or 'get together party'. That means every family member do not have to work on that day, just spend some times to each other.
ReplyDeleteKelsey Brook
ReplyDeleteIf I could establish a Memorial Day tradition, it would be a family day, and we would talk about family from the past. (Basically, a get in touch with our roots, or a more family aware day.)
Hannah McAlpine
ReplyDeleteI like the tradition my family has. We always have a cook out with friends and usually go swimming. My church also participate in Memorial Day by honoring the veterans at our church. I think its very important to remember our Vets!
Alaa Abdul Wahab
ReplyDeletewe used to follow our traditions back country, and memorial day was one of them which shows the loyality and the honor to have these people who died for their homeland , defending their kids ,family , and land, we are proud of them and its their right to remember each of them and make specific day for them.