How to Commemorate Memorial Day

The United States has a rich history, and Memorial Day is one of the holidays originated to show our respect for those who have died for it and the many freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis. Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) was officially proclaimed in 1868 by General John Logan, and first observed on May 30, 1868 by placing flowers on graves of Civil War soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Since 1971, Memorial Day has been celebrated on the last Monday of May, to allow for a 3 day Memorial Day Weekend.

Instructions

1. Discuss American history with your family. We get so busy with our day to day lives that we often forget to slow down and really think about the reason our national holidays were started. It is important to discuss the pride we have in our country and how we appreciate those that came before us, especially with our children.

2. Buy a poppy from the VFW. Beginning in 1922 the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) took a Dutch and French tradition and began to sell poppies nationally, to raise money for veterans in need. Today these poppies are made my disabled veterans and sold each Memorial Day Weekend.

3. Participate in the "National Moment of Remembrance", which was started in 2000. This is a resolution asks American citizens to stop anything they may be doing at 3 p.m. local time, and observe a moment of silence.

4. Show respect for fallen war veterans. Visit cemeteries or war memorials to show your respect. Lay flowers or place flags as a remembrance to what the war veteran has given for his or her country. Many cemeteries have fallen war veterans whose family no longer lives close by. You can "adopt" these grave sites to show that their service has not been forgotten.

5. Spend quality time with your family and enjoy (and appreciate) the freedom that others have given their lives for. Most cities will have parades and other celebrations. If there isn't a formal activity that you're interested in, think of having a picnic or get together with family and friends.