Are you struggling to figure out how your family should spend Memorial Day? It can be a tough one, but I’ve come up with some Memorial Day traditions that might set you on the right track!
We all look forward to Memorial Day, which is a weird thing to say. It’s the unofficial start of summer. We get a much-needed day off work and school. It’s also so much more, but many of us struggle to balance the solemnity of the day’s origins with the excitement of what the day has become. It’s tricky to strike the right balance!
If you want to make Memorial Day both meaningful and fun, consider incorporating some Memorial Day traditions into your family’s rhythm that include some fun and some remembrance. The ideas I’ve come up with certainly aren’t your only options – you can make whatever Memorial Day traditions feel right for your family.
Memorial Day Traditions
Poppy
Perhaps the simplest Memorial Day tradition you can adopt that anchors your day in remembrance is to pin a poppy on your shirt. The red poppy is the international symbol of remembrance for military personnel who have died in war, harkening back to the poppies that grew on WWI battlefields.
Many veterans organizations hand out artificial poppies around Memorial Day for a small donation. They often set up at the front of grocery stores on Memorial Day weekend, so it can be as easy as doing your weekly grocery shop to grab yourself a remembrance poppy. If you want something that you can keep in your jewelry box and wear year after year, consider purchasing a poppy lapel pin. The National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City offers a simple enamel pin that they can ship to your home if you don’t live nearby. All proceeds benefit the WWI Museum.
Flag
Another super easy Memorial Day tradition to adopt is to fly a flag (or at least incorporate flags into your home décor). This was one of the Memorial Day traditions we had growing up. My mom would put a flag out on Memorial Day and keep it up through the Fourth of July.
Flagpole
If you run a flag up a flagpole, it should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon. Then, you should raise the flag to full-staff from noon until sunset. This sequence allows for a morning of mourning and an afternoon of honor.
No flagpole
Don’t have a flagpole? It’s OK to simply put a small flag by your mailbox or front door. We stick two of the small flags into the ground on either side of our front entry. Installing these mini flags each year is a nice way to start Memorial Day.
Moment of Remembrance
You can also join in a moment of silence to remember those who have sacrificed their lives. The National Moment of Remembrance takes place at 3:00 pm local time each Memorial Day and lasts for one minute. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you can simply stop and take a breath and remember all of those who have died in service to the U.S.A. This is one of those Memorial Day traditions I think we can all get behind!
Donation
Another great Memorial Day tradition is to honor the servicemembers who have died by taking care of the ones still living. It’s no secret that veterans could use more care in this country. As the wife of a veteran (who now works at a VA facility), I have seen just how much veterans need our help through my husband’s experiences. Take Memorial Day as the perfect opportunity to donate your time or money to give them just a little bit of the help they need.
If you have a veterans home or hospital nearby, consider buying some flowers or baking some cookies and delivering them (call first to ask about any rules they have!). While you’re dropping off your donation, you can thank the veterans for their service. You’ll be sure to brighten their day and yours!
You can also donate funds to your local veterans organization. These funds usually go to providing essential services to veterans. Think housing, food, mental health services, etc. They need our help, and they’re grateful for it!
Local event
No matter how small your community is, it probably has some Memorial Day traditions in which you can participate. Gather round your community’s war memorial, visit your community’s cemetery to lay wreaths, or line the street to watch your town’s Memorial Day parade. Whatever local event you choose, bring a flag and wear it proudly, no matter your politics. Memorial Day is about honoring those who have gone before, not about whatever mess might be currently happening.
Cookout
Getting together with family and friends is a great way to honor the sacrifice of military servicemembers. Don’t feel guilty for having fun and celebrating the start of summer. Just maybe use the opportunity to of the gathering to pay tribute to those who have died in service to the U.S.A. (and also make a plan to call your state and federal representatives to remind them that these brave men and women died for our freedom so we shouldn’t give it away to a bunch of people in red hats).
I like to make our Memorial Day gathering a little special by baking a flag cake. It’s super festive and super easy. If you aren’t up for all the berry cutting and arranging, there are plenty of other fun and festive Memorial Day desserts you can choose to make or buy. Have fun with it!
Concert
Who says all of your Memorial Day traditions have to take place on Memorial Day itself? They don’t! A super fun way to mark Memorial Day is to participate in the Memorial Day concert, which happens on the Sunday night before Memorial Day. If you can’t make it to the Capitol grounds to watch the concert in person, your local PBS station will air it live at 8:00 pm. It’s just not Memorial Day without Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise)!
Other posts
If you’re looking for more Memorial Day inspiration, check out these posts:
I hope you all have a good Memorial Day with your new Memorial Day traditions! I’d love to see what you get up to this Memorial Day – tag me in your pictures on Instagram – I’m @sarainseason.