On May 26 millions of Americans will celebrate Memorial Day. Traditionally, most of us have viewed MD as a day off from work, part of a three-day weekend, a day to gather with friends and relatives, watch sports, barbecue, go to the beach or pool club, or maybe go away for a mini vacation. Regardless of the calendar MD is generally considered to be the unofficial start of summer. Wherever you go and whatever you do expect travel delays and crowds. Of course, we don’t like those inconveniences, but they are acknowledged and tolerated as an integral part of the holiday weekend.
According to AAA a record number of people, some 45.1 million, will travel at least 50 miles away from home over Memorial Day weekend. This would surpass the current record of 44 million established in 2005. The majority of travelers (87%) are expected to travel by car. In order to mitigate the prospect of delays AAA recommends traveling before 11 a.m. on Friday and before 2 p.m. on Monday. Conversely, the worst time to travel is predicted to be between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday.
A word of warning for drivers. According to Ken Kolosh, a statistics manager at the National Safety Council, Memorial Day weekend is one of the most dangerous periods for traffic accidents. The NSC estimates there will be some 440 traffic fatalities over the holiday weekend this year. Everybody says, “watch out for the other guy.” Don’t be the “other guy.” Drive with extra caution. Don’t become a statistic!
With respect to gas at the pump the good news is that the average price of $3.195 per gallon for regular is lower than last year’s $3.58. The bad news is that typically, the price increases over the course of the Memorial Day weekend, so gas up before you leave. If possible, try not to travel during peak periods. Again, allow extra time to account for delays due to heavy traffic and/or inclement weather. Moreover, whenever and wherever you drive I recommend using your friendly GPS to help you navigate around delays.
Approximately 3.61 million people are expected to travel by air, which would be a 2% increase over last year. Allow extra time as one can expect the usual heavy crowds, overbooked flights, delays, cancellations and inclement weather. Also, refrain from packing prohibited items in their luggage, which delays the security check-in process. That is common sense, but as they say, “common sense is not always ‘common.’ ” A wise credo is to hope for the best but plan for the worst.
Back to the holiday, itself. How many of us actually stop to ponder the meaning of MD? What does it signify? What is its etymology? Well, I’m glad you asked. Read on and be edified.
According to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs the purpose of MD is to honor veterans who have died in the service of their country. (Some people confuse it with Veterans’ Day, celebrated in November, which is to honor LIVING veterans for their service.) MD is celebrated on the final Monday in May, which, as stated above, is May 26 this year. As I said, it has also evolved into the unofficial start of summer and Opening Day for beaches, pools and vacation homes.
The original name for MD was “Decoration Day.” The custom of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers is centuries old. Its origins are murky, but after the Civil War it became customary to “decorate” soldiers’ graves with flowers as a way to honor those who had died in that war.
Several cities claim to be the birthplace of MD. Warrenton, Va. claims that the first CW soldier’s grave was decorated there in 1861. Women began decorating soldiers’ graves in Savannah, Ga. as early as 1862. Boalsburg, Pa. and Charleston, SC, among others, have also made claims. NY became the first state to recognize MD as an official holiday in 1873. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, NY to be the official birthplace of MD.
The basis of Waterloo’s claim is that in 1865 a group of locals, including a pharmacist, Henry Welles, General John Murray, a CW hero, and a group of other veterans, simply marched to the local cemeteries and decorated the soldiers’ graves with flowers. What gave Waterloo an edge in the birthplace battle was that Murray was an acquaintance of General John Logan, the general who issued “Logan’s Order,” the proclamation that declared “Decoration Day” should be celebrated annually nationwide.
At first, MD was celebrated on May 30 every year. The date seems somewhat arbitrary as it was not the anniversary of any famous battle or military event. Perhaps, it was chosen simply because flowers with which the graves are decorated are in bloom and plentiful at that particular time of the year. The name, “Decoration Day” was gradually replaced by “MD” beginning in 1882, and in 1887 MD became the official name. In 1968 the Congress moved the holiday to the last Monday in May. This annoyed many traditionalists, but the lure of a three-day weekend overcame any objections, and the Monday date has prevailed.
There are some MD traditions worth noting:
- Flying the flag at half-staff.
Most of the time one will see the flag flown at half-staff all day; however, technically, this is not proper. The flag should be raised to the top and then lowered to half-staff. This is intended to honor those who have died for their country. At noon, the flag is to be raised again to full staff, where it remains for the rest of the day. This is to recognize that the deceased veterans’ sacrifices were not in vain.
- Poppies.
Poppies have become the official flower of remembrance, declared as such by the American Legion in 1920. This is derived from WWI and the Battle of Ypres (English pronunciation is “Wipers.”). Apparently, a proliferation of poppies grew on that battlefield around the soldiers’ graves. These poppies were featured in a famous poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae called “In Flanders Fields.” This poem caught peoples’ imagination and popularized the custom.
- Sporting Events.
No American holiday celebration would be complete without a sports connection. MD weekend features the Indianapolis 500 and the Memorial golf tournament, among others. Also, until recently there was the traditional Memorial Day MLB baseball doubleheader. Alas, due to economics, scheduled holiday baseball doubleheaders are all but extinct.
4. Parades and ceremonies.
There will be parades and ceremonies in virtually every city and town of any size. Washington, DC will feature the National Memorial Day Parade, which will be televised and streamed live nationally and around the world.
CONCLUSION
I hope the foregoing has increased your understanding and appreciation of MD. As a veteran, myself, I find it most gratifying that, in recent years, most Americans have come to recognize and appreciate the service and sacrifice of our country’s veterans. I can remember a time (the Vietnam War period) when it wasn’t so.
So, whatever you do this weekend, however you celebrate, try to pause for a moment in honor of the many veterans who have given their lives so that the rest of us can enjoy the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted.
We Built It Blog by Larry Jacob 