Tag: travel

MEMORIAL DAY

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:

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

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NEW YEAR’S EVE 2023

Wow, another year has gone by! That was fast. As we all know, the older we get, the more time seems to speed up.

Sunday night, people around the world will celebrate New Year’s Eve. Although the specifics of the celebration may differ in various countries, it is generally a time of social gatherings, parties, eating, drinking, and merriment.

The Pacific island nations of Kiribati (aka Christmas Island), which is nothing more than a coral atoll in the Central Pacific, and Samoa, which is the western-most of the Samoan Islands, will be the first to celebrate; American Samoa, which includes seven tiny islands and atolls in the eastern part of the Samoan Islands, and Baker and Howland Islands, which are uninhabited atolls some 3,100 km southwest of Honolulu, will be the last.

New Year’s Day has been celebrated on January 1 since 45 B. C. That year, Julius Caesar decreed that the Roman Calendar, under which the new year occurred in March, be replaced by the Julian calendar. It has been celebrated on January 1 ever since.

As always, the most extensive celebration will be in Times Square in NYC. According to multiple media reports approximately one million persons are expected to brave the elements and inconveniences to attend the festivities. Furthermore, approximately one billion persons are expected to watch worldwide on live TV and various streaming services. A cornucopia of famous entertainers will be performing live both in person and at various venues around the world. Live entertainment has long been a traditional part of the NYE celebration. Some of you may recall, with nostalgia, the most famous and enduring NYE entertainer of them all, Guy Lombardo. From 1928 until his death in 1977 he entertained us from the ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria, first on the radio, then on TV. 

Officially, viewers will be allowed into the Times Square area commencing at 6:00 pm, however it is expected that “early birds” will begin arriving early in the morning. After going through a security check viewers will be directed to one of various viewing “pens,” and there they will stay until the end. Basically, if you leave you cannot return. NYC police have decreed that items such as backpacks, large bags, umbrellas, chairs, picnic blankets, large coolers and alcohol are prohibited. Moreover, all items will be subject to search. Depending on your point of view these people are either, brave, hardy or crazy. They are willing to stand squeezed in for some 18 hours in the cold without food, water or use of a restroom just to be a part of the action. Depends, anyone?

As always, there is a risk that the festivities will be marred by violence ranging from demonstrations to terror attacks. I believe the risk is more serious this year due the high level of crime in NYC and the Israel-Hamas War. Law enforcement claims it has taken the necessary precautions, but who knows? Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.

If you want to view the ball drop from the comforts of a nearby hotel or restaurant, be prepared to “pony up” big bucks. It has been reported that tickets are going for as much as $12,500 apiece (at the Marriott Marquis).

Traditionally, NYE celebrations have been punctuated by fireworks. In NYC probably the best one can be viewed from Battery Park City. Many other cities in the US and around the world will have their own fireworks displays as well.

TV will present a plethora of entertainment options ranging from live entertainment to old movies. My personal favorite is Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, which will be televised for the 52nd consecutive year. Entertainment from various venues will likely be featured. If none of those offerings “floats your boat” you can escape with the Honeymooners marathon, featuring Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows and Joyce Randolph, which is offered every year but never gets stale.

Many other cities and towns will present their own celebrations. Traditionally, NYE is the busiest day at Disneyland and Disney World, which feature Disney-character shows and fireworks. They will be open and will likely present an array of entertainment and fireworks.

As mentioned above, the biggest and most significant celebration is in NYC. Since 1907 people have been gathering in Times Square to watch the “Ball Drop.” The “Ball Drop” has been held annually every year since, except for 1942 and 1943 when it was canceled due to the wartime blackout.

At precisely at 6:00 pm a huge Waterford crystal ball will be raised to the top of the pole at One Times Square.  At 11:59 pm, the ball will be activated by the push of a special button. The original “ball” was constructed from wood and iron and lit with 100 incandescent bulbs. Over the years, it has gone through various iterations. The current iteration is a geodesic sphere. It is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 11,875 pounds. It contains 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles. This triangular design enables it to support extremely heavy loads. The ball will be illuminated by 32,256 light-emitting diodes (aka LEDs) of various colors – red, white, blue and green. It will look gorgeous on tv. It will begin its descent from the roof of One Times Square down a 141-foot-high pole. Exactly one minute later, at midnight, the ball will reach the roof of the building, and huge lights will signal the start of the New Year.

Times Square has been the focal point of NYE celebrations in the US since 1904. That year, the first organized NYE celebration, consisting of an all-day street festival culminating in a huge fireworks display, was held there. It was reported that at midnight the celebratory noise could be heard as far away as Croton-on-Hudson, some 30 miles away.

The celebration was organized by the New York Times owner, Adolph Ochs, to commemorate the opening of the Times’ new headquarters located in the tiny triangle at the intersection of 42nd Street, Broadway and 7th Avenue. The city renamed the area Times Square in honor of the venerable publication.

Quiz questions:

1) What other historically significant event occurred in NYC in 1904?

2) What was Times Square’s name prior to 1904? See below for the answers.

Two years later NYC banned the fireworks display. Ochs’ response was to replace it with the “Ball Drop.” The details of this “Ball Drop” have evolved over the years, especially technologically.

At the stroke of midnight it is traditional to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” I have always been curious as to the derivation of this song and why it is sung at New Year’s. The origin is murky, but it has generally been attributed to the Scottish poet Robert Burns. He wrote it in 1788, but it is likely that some of the words were derived from other older Scottish poems and ballads. “Auld Lang Syne” literally translates into English as “long, long ago,” “old times,” or “days gone by.” Thus, at the stroke of midnight we bid farewell to the past year and, at the same time, wish to remember the good times. In some areas the song is also sung at funerals, graduations and any other event that marks a “farewell” or “ending.” Sometimes the singers gather in a circle and hold hands.

As with any other holiday traveling is fraught with complications and dangers. The TSA advises to avoid traveling on NYE and NYD. They are the most expensive and most crowded days. As always during the winter the weather will be a factor. Some areas are forecasted to have snow or dense fog. 

CONCLUSION

Whatever your NYE plans may be and however you may celebrate, I urge you to be careful and drive safely and defensively. Pay particular care to watch out for the “other guy.” This is one night where too many people celebrate excessively and drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. These people should not be on the road, but, nevertheless, they are, and they are dangerous both to you and themselves.  For this reason, Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s long-time sidekick on the Tonight Show and a noted partygoer, used to refer to New Year’s Eve derisively as “amateur night.” New Year’s Day is the second most deadly holiday for drivers. (Thanksgiving is #1.) Moreover, a whopping 42% of the driving fatalities on NYD are the result of DUI.

Answers to quiz questions:

1) NYC’s first subway line opened in 1904.

2) Longacre Square.

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