Happy Memorial Day 2021
Happy Memorial Day! Like many of you, I’m taking time off today to spend time with my family. As long as the weather holds we’ll be enjoying the sunshine with good food and lots of time in the pool. If you’d like something to read before I’m back on Wednesday, here are some posts you might enjoy related to Memorial Day. Our Memorial Day Cemetery Tradition A Cemetery Dating Back to 1774 Burlap Bag Flag Centerpiece Travel: Gettysburg National Military Park Please be good to yourself and others today. So many sacrificed so that we can enjoy a day of fun and frivolity. Happy Memorial Day. Share this:
A Cemetery Dating Back to 1774
There is a church cemetery near our house that dates back to 1774. It is the oldest cemetery in our New Jersey township and it predates New Jersey statehood. New Jersey was the 3rd state admitted into the Union in 1787. Prior to that it was known as the Province of New Jersey. A relatively new, but appropriate addition to the cemetery is an arched sign over the entrance that reads “God’s Acre.” The sign was paid for by the descendants of one of the church’s founding families. That term, “God’s Acre,” is a common label for cemeteries and it comes from the German word Gottesacker, which means field of God. We…
Memorial Day 2019
Happy Memorial Day to my friends in the United States. As with many things in the United States, even the origin of Memorial Day is a debated topic. This is because decorating the graves of soldiers has happened for a long, long time and nailing down a precise start date is tricky. However, many think the Memorial Day we celebrate, or Decoration Day as it was first called, was originally started to honor those soldiers who died during America’s Civil War. Memorial Day wasn’t declared a federal holiday until over 100 years later in 1971, but it continues to honor those who died while serving in the U.S. military. If…
Memorial Day
Is it correct to say “happy” Memorial Day? After all, it is a day to remember those who died serving in the United States armed forces. Perhaps it is just one of those things we say because the holiday has also morphed into the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend to spend with friends and family. Happy might not be the right word, but I am extraordinarily grateful for the men and women who have served our nation. There was a period in our country’s history when military service was required. Having never lived through an era when I was really ‘forced’ to do anything, not to mention…
