Some holidays are more special than others. It’s sad to realize, but Memorial Day is one of those holidays that should be very special to everyone, but it has lost its meaning for so many. It’s a federal holiday in the United States for remembering those people who have died while serving in the country’s armed forces and was established as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. But for some, it has become known as just an extra day off from work giving opportunity to a 3 day weekend. For other’s it’s only the marking point for the beginning of summer. That’s sad to me…Why not find someone in uniform today or someone you know who has served in the military and say thank you to them…
If you click on any picture it will enlarge.
Here is the cemetery where my dad is buried…
See that little flag in the middle of the picture? That’s my dad’s gravestone.
They do a really nice job lining the whole driveway with flags.
Just for fun, I thought I’d let you take another trivia quiz to see how much you know about Memorial Day… you’ll just have to write your answers down on a piece of paper… I’m not “high tech” yet!
The answers are below…
1. Memorial Day was created to honor fallen soldiers of what war?
a. The Revolutionary War
b. The War of 1812
c. The Civil War
d. World War I
2. The first Memorial Day celebration was held in…
a. Boalsburg, PA
b. Waterloo, NY
c. Carbondale, IL (My home town!!!!!)
d. All of the above
3. How many Southern states still observe Confederate Memorial Day?
a. 9
b. 5
c. 2
d. None
4. When was Memorial Day moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May?
a. 1925
b. 1946
c. 1971
d. 1980
5. What city hosts the oldest Memorial Day parade?
a. Doylestown, PA
b. Douglaston, NY
c. Ironton, OH
d. Portsmouth, VA
6. Memorial Day weekend has come to mark the unofficial start of summer — and of the summer blockbuster season at movie theaters. Which movie holds the record for the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening?
a. Pirates of the Caribbean
b. Star Wars
c. Jaws
d. The Hangover Part II
7. Many Americans will fire up their outdoor grills on Memorial Day for the first cookout of the summer. How many hot dogs will Americans eat between Memorial Day and Labor Day?
a. 7 million
b. 70 million
c. 700 million
d. 7 billion
This quiz was “sponsored” by tiny little Riley, by Helen Kish and Katie Effanbee. They’ll separate the questions from the answers!
~ ANSWERS ~
1. (c. The Civil War)
Communities in the North and South organized the first memorial days in 1865, laying flowers on headstones in the months after the war ended. Quickly evolving into an annual tradition, “Decoration Day” was typically set for early summer. The day eventually became known as Memorial Day and now honors American soldiers killed in all wars and conflicts.
2. (d. All of the above)
The answer depends on whom you ask. All three towns — and a few others, including Richmond and Columbus, Ga. — lay some claim to originating the tradition. Historians haven’t settled on a definitive answer, though in 1966 Congress declared Waterloo the “birthplace” of Memorial Day.
3. (a. 9)
In addition to Memorial Day, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas observe some form of remembrance for Confederate soldiers killed in the Civil War. In several states, it’s the fourth Monday in April, to commemorate the official surrender of the Confederate Army to the Union side on April 26, 1865.
4. (c. 1971)
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Act, which moved several traditional holidays, including Memorial Day, from a fixed date on the calendar to a designated Monday so as to create long weekends. The bill went into effect three years later. While adding convenience, some groups think the shift had unintended effects — the Veterans of Foreign Wars, for example, said in 2002 that “changing the date to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day.”
5. (a. Doylestown, Pa.)
The Doylestown parade dates to 1866, a year before Ironton’s. Ironton claims to have the oldest “continuously held” Memorial Day parade, while Portsmouth boasts it has the oldest “annually held” Memorial Day parade. Douglaston lays claim to America’s “largest” event.
6. (a. Pirates of the Caribbean)
The third installment of the film franchise took in more than $139 million at the box office over Memorial Day weekend in 2007. “Star Wars” opened in limited release on Memorial Day weekend in 1977.
7. (d. 7 billion)
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume 7 billion hot dogs during the summer season — or about 818 hot dogs per second, from late May to early September.
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Happy Memorial Day to you, Jeanne. I must confess that I am one of those who tends to think of Memorial Day as a day off or the start of summertime, shame on me. Thank you for reminding us what this day is all about. The cemetery where your dad is buried looks so peaceful and patriotic. It is so nice that you visit his grave and put flowers on his headstone on this special holiday.
Sorry I haven’t commented in a few days. I loved hearing your story about your 100 mile sale adventure. Your husband’s comment about remembering what you wore on your first date was the best. What a sweetie you have there, definitely keep him! LOL!
HI Cindy,
Thanks so much for your comments. No shame…just a “friendly reminder” is all!
Yes, daddy’s cemetery is very well kept and it is so pretty on a few of the holidays through the year that they put the flags out for.
We did have a wonderful day on our yard sale hunt! I was looking through some pictures last night and ran across a picture of me in that blouse! It’s not a very good or clear picture, but I might have to share it anyway…just for nostalgic purposes!
…and yes, he IS a sweetie!
I hope you missed all the windy and rainy weather last night. It was quite the storm here! Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
I’m afraid I didn’t do so well on the quiz but I love how the little girls at the end stood with their flags and are giving us the answers! You are so clever, Jeanne.
I thank everyone who served or are still serving to keep us safe in our wonderful country. A salute to all of you !! What brave men and women sacrificing for a certain way of life…all coming together in many different ways to serve the United States of America!!
Blessings!
Hi Paula,
Well put! I couldn’t agree more! I appreciate all those who have served in whatever way they could, and also thank their families for loaning them out to fight for our freedoms.
Thank you Paula,
Happy Memorial Day to you,
Blessings, Jeanne
I remember my great-grandmother calling it ‘Decoration Day’ so perhaps that’s what it was first called. I think the holiday lost meaning when they changed to date to, as you said, make it a three day weekend instead of a special day. My small hometown decorates the cemetery as your town does, all the veterans (my dad was a sergeant in WW II) get a flag on their grave, there is a list in the local paper of all the veterans buried in Walnut cemetery starting with the War of 1812. I think a lot of people, especially younger people have lost the patriotic feeling that we grew up with and it saddens me. My grandson is a 1st LT. in the Army Reserves, his girlfriend served six years and is a diesel mechanic. Just a little trivia, I’ve never known a woman diesel mechanic. I stopped one day to drop off grandson, Deanna was a little grubby, had just finished putting a new alternator in her car. I know how to put in gas and check the oil, that’s the extent of my mechanical knowledge.
Sorry, Jeanne, guess I’ve written a story. Enjoyed the photos of your cemetery, it reminds me of home. Your girls looks so cute. I don’t know Katie Effanbee, but she and Riley look very patriotic in their red, white, and blue outfits.
Enjoy you weekend everyone and think of those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy it.
Hi Jevne,
It was originally called Decoration Day, just as your great-grandmother would have called it.
You are right about the younger generation not knowing so much about the holiday and only knowing it as a day off or the start to summer. I made my kids learn about it when we home schooled them.
Thanks for complimenting Katie and Riley in their patriotic sets. I’m saving most of my red, white and blue things for the Fourth of July!
Congrats on your Ten Ping outfit! I hope you got a new customer from it. I won’t be doing much sewing this week… :o(
Blessings to you on this Memorial Day!
~ Jeanne
In our little town of Ringgold, GA, there are hundreds of white crosses with the names of all the soldiers who served in the different wars and each one has an American flag like the ones at your father’s cemetery. They line the streets and grounds of the federal buildings, so pretty and really a wonderful tribute. Your Riley and Katie look very sweet in their patriotic outfits. Happy Memorial Day!
HI Regina,
I bet all the crosses with the flags on them is quite a site! That’s a wonderful thing for your town to do! How very patriotic!
Thanks so much Regina,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh boy, am I late today! I thought I wrote something earlier, but I guess I didn’t! I took the quiz, and lo and behold, I did NOT get an A!!! Boy do I have a red face, and to think I was a teacher too! Yes, it was called Decoration Day and I do remember that. All my uncles were in WW II, but all came safely home, even my Uncle Buddy, who flew bombers over Japan! I remember all the Chinese hankies and scarves he used to send home while in the war.
Your dolls look so sweet and patriotic! I dressed mine up in red, white and blue and they are holding flags. Our local military cemetery, Jefferson Barracks, is wonderfully decorated by the Boy Scouts every year, with each tombstone getting a flag, and believe me, that is a lot of flags, since the cemetery has been in use since the Civil War! I remember my son doing his Boy Scout “good deeds” by participating in that. I have many relatives buried there, as does my husband, who is a former member of the Army. We even had a military wedding!
Well, it was nice to think about how we have the freedoms we have in the U.S., and all because of the brave men and women in the U.S. military!
HI Linda,
Welcome to the “evening” edition of comments! Just kidding!
I tried to pick out some of the easier questions, but it was a tough quiz…I’ll admit that!
I should do a post when it gets closer to the Fourth of July where people send me pictures of their dolls all dressed up in their Patriotic outfits and then I’ll post them on my blog. I just wrote that idea down so I won’t forget!
Thank you Linda, for your hubby’s service to our country and all of your past relatives too. It takes a lot of soldiers to ensure our freedom in this country. I don’t take it lightly!
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, I have a few misspellings in there!! Well, not really misspellings, but for some reason I didn’t exactly type what I thought I was typing, so excuse me!!
HI Linda,
I fixed 2 things but not to worry…you’re not in school anymore so there won’t be a grade on your post! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne