Memorial Day is often celebrated with friends, family, barbecues and time away from work or school but what is Memorial Day really about? When did it start? And why do we celebrate it every year?
Most people know that Memorial Day is a day which we give 'thanks' to the service men and women who have serviced for the armed forces. Flags are flown high and gravestones are decorated with the red, white and blue but why?
According to the History Channel website, the first widely observed Memorial Day, which was called 'Decoration Day' at the time, was observed on May 5th, 1868. Decoration Day was a day set aside to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. Folks would place flowers and other decorations on the grave sites of Confederate and Union soldiers who perished in battle.
Memorial Day was made a federal holiday in 1971.
Celebrating Memorial Day with children can be very simple and easy to fit into your holiday plans, below are a few ideas:
* Visit a local cemetery
While Memorial Day started to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War, we now use this day to honor all men and women who have serviced. Bring flowers from your garden and a few small flags to a local cemetery and decorate the graves of those who have serviced. You will find that gravestones will often have the branch of the military they serviced in and if they fought in any wars. Depending on the age of your children, this may give you a moment to example the details of both.
* Attend a local Memorial Day Event
Most places have some form of ceremony on Memorial Day, whether it be a simple flag ceremony or something bigger, it's a great event to share with children. Remember, Memorial Day is not only a day of remembering those who have passed, but also those who are still with us. The best way to show appreciation for those who have enlisted, is to walk up to them, shake their hand and say "thank you". That simple action goes a long way.
*Send Letters to Soldiers
There are soldiers currently serving far from home. A great way to show you are thinking of them is to write letters. Children can make cards, draw pictures or write letters depending on their age. There are a number of agencies that will help get your letters to where they need to go.
*Read
Before your bbq, read aloud to your kids. There are a number of books about the Civil War. Find one that is age appropriate for all. After the story is over, talk about what the kids learned, what did they take from the story.
Just remember that while most folks get a day off from work, kids from school and a lot of families mark Memorial Day as the official start to summer, there is a lot more to it then that. Reminding kids (and adults) of why we celebrate this day will make it even more special.
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