Memorial Day: Enjoy the Season but Remember the Reason

The sun is shining and your boom box is cranking out some good tunes. The grill is sizzling, wafting the smell of cooking hamburgers and hotdogs through the neighborhood. Just toss in a few cold brews and you might as well be in a beer commercial. 

Good times.

The official start of summer is absolutely a time for fun, but it’s really not the reason why we’re given a three-day weekend to enjoy the sun. 

Memorial Day is instead a day for remembering those who died while serving in the country's Armed Forces. It began as Decoration Day in 1868, when an organization of Union veterans set it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. 

While observance of Memorial Day has fallen off over the years, there are still some large activities going on, including the National Memorial Day Parade, and the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally.

Set on Constitution Avenue in the nation’s capital, the parade draws over 250,000 people. Meanwhile Rolling Thunder tries to live up to its name as upwards of 90,000 motorcyclists descend on the city to honor POWs and MIAs.

If you’d prefer a quieter weekend, you can still observe Memorial Day by flying a flag at half mast, visiting a veterans’ cemetery to lay some flowers down or by wearing a red poppy.    

So enjoy your day— drink a brew or two, grill up some burgers or just enjoy the weather— but take a moment to remember those who gave their lives to make it possible.