Kids and adults alike love Memorial Day weekend (and for good reason: barbecues, lawn games, lake trips, etc.), but it’s high time we taught our kids the meaning of Memorial Day a.k.a. that it’s more than just a three-day weekend of family shenanigans. Sure, it can seem like all fun and games (who doesn’t love a Monday off school and work?), but it’s actually the most solemn holiday on the U.S. calendar…For over 150 years, Memorial Day has been dedicated to paying respect to all the men and women who died during their service to the U.S. military.
A little history lesson: Memorial Day actually began as “Decoration Day” back in 1868, when the graves of Civil War soldiers were decorated with flags and flowers. It was renamed Memorial Day in 1967, and in 1968, the last Monday in May was officially declared a U.S. holiday, turning the day into a celebratory three-day weekend before summer begins.
If you have a friend or relative who died during military service, that’s the perfect place to start teaching your kids what Memorial Day weekend is really about. Put the barbecue on hold, visit their grave, and talk about their place in the family, where they fought and how they died. If you don’t have a deceased friend or relative who was in the military, you can still help decorate the graves of soldiers at your local cemetery with flags and wreaths.
A meaningful Memorial Day doesn’t have to involve battling the crowds. You can engage your kids at home with fun, patriotic Memorial Day crafts and activities and use this opportunity to chat about Memorial Day and what it stands for. Make ice pop flags or decorate a cake in red, white and blue (strawberries, whipped cream and blueberries is an idea).
Memorial Day isn’t about what’s going on right now or what might happen in the future. It’s about the 1.1 million American men and women who have been killed in all U.S. wars. However you spend the holiday (and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying three days to relax at home with your family, because those moments are precious as we all know especially now), take some time to think about those who sacrificed their lives.
Happy Memorial Day from The Deich Team
