Memorial Day (used to be) Decoration (of graves) Day.

[laserhaas]

As pointed out by my good acquaint Otteray (Charlton Stanley - who remembers his fallen son with the tombstone picture below), who is also well known on DailyKos and weekend contributor on Professor Jonathan Turley's Blog, Memrorial Day 2014 is "A Day of Remembrance Everyone Seems to be Forgetting". Whereas, it does appear, the turn of time has passed the past, into something quirky for newer generations. Apparently, it used to be traditional for groups to go out (on May 30th) and put a flower upon each and every grave known to exist.

Otteray cracked me up with his remark that;

"Now? Nothing says “honor the dead” quite like a mattress sale".

[br]
Then things turned more solemn, with the following reflections.





That "tradition" is now turned into Memorial Day for our patriots paying the ultimate sacrifice.

One soldier (Lt. Col. John McRae, MD), from wars long ago in 1915, turned his gift of life (surviving German's bombing with chlorine gas) into poetry and poppy flowers. At that time, it was a tradition to utilize poppies as the proper flower to place upon a grave (so that the person would not be forgotten from the face of the earth). Soldier/DR. McRae wrote the following;

IN FLANDERS FIELDS
by John McRae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[br]
[hr][br]
Otteray also provides this video tribute to this day as he states;

The video below is Steve McDonald singing a parent’s lament, “Live On My Warrior Son.”
The images are from the cemeteries in Flanders, Belgium.

[br]

[br]

[former9thward]

1. When my grandparents were alive they called it Decoration Day.

And we (I was a young kid) would go out and decorate family graves including one who died in WW I. I always looked forward to that. When they died that tradition went away as the rest of the family didn't care about it.

[laserhaas]

2. Time marches on and heals (seals) all wounds/wounded and fallen.

It is a sad state of affairs that the advancement of humanity seems to go hand in hand with difference.

[TlalocW]

3. My sister, the more conservative one of us

Married an even more conservative man, and they're of the "belief" that decorating graves amounts to worship of the dead.

I'm of the belief that it's a good way for him to work in an extra weekend of fishing each year.

I drove to where Mom is living now and took her back to her hometown last week to put down flowers because it always seems like we put them down one day and then pick them back up the next so I thought putting them down for a week would be nice. I instantly regretted my decision when we finally got to the cemetery with the 30+ mph wind whipping through the place. I had to rig up some extra wiring to try and keep the flowers in the ground. I was going to go back today, but my car's check engine light is on, and I'm not going to find a mechanic to look at it today so I'll go back later this week. If I'm able to recover 2 or 3 of the 10 things we put down, I'll be amazed.

I guess the flowers will go on sale this week. I'm going to buy some, get some small pots and take the flowers out of whatever cheap plastic thing they're in and put them in the pots and fill them up with plaster-of-paris or concrete.. or hell, if I could get lead - anything to weigh them down. I don't mind putting down flowers because my mom appreciates it, but I'm done trying to get these things to stay in the dry Kansas dirt with the Kansas wind whipping through. Next year, we'll just be able to place stuff with little effort.

TlalocW

[laserhaas]

4. Traditionalism and HARD lining always seems to go the bizarre pathway.

In Judaism we/they have a more modern tradition of putting torn envelopes on the graves of the Rebbe in NY (Ohel). I too (not learning of the possibility of yiddish roots until late in life), wondered about the "speaking with the dead" issues.

Now, I'm of the belief that, if G-d is eternal - we are simply his entertainment.
(As is my battle against Romney & his RICO gangs).

I've never been to my mothers grave (for many reasons);
and don't remember what flowers she liked.

There's no restriction to me, putting flowers upon her grave as a child;
and I can't believe there should be any such - doing so upon a strangers.

[Frustratedlady]

5. Decoration Day was a major family affair.

We always mowed and cleaned the area around my great-grandfather's grave (he was a Civil War captain) and then decorated the graves of all relatives with irises, peonies and whatever blooms were available. We then had a large picnic at Grandma's home nearby. It was a good time to recall the relatives with fond memories, including the veterans of many wars.

I remember how disgusted my parents were when they changed Memorial Day/Decoration Day to Mondays. To the end of her life, my mother insisted on decorating on the "correct day" and not on Monday.

I don't know if my family will continue to decorate after I die, but I hope so. I have tried to instill some sense of importance by taking one or another member with me when I decorate. I hope they remember and not consider it a day to stay home from work.

[laserhaas]

6. Unity of family and friends is key to humanity's growth.

Whether it is the 30th, last Monday and/or Sunday - isn't worth getting all flustered over.

The Civil War always amazes me, in how brother fought/killed each other; over the right to be a slave owner. To think of all those men who died, families deprived, husbands lost - over such an evil

still vexes me greatly.

[SoapBox]

8. We ALWAYS cleaned up the headstones and placed flowers

on Memorial Day. It was my grandparents, a baby my sister had, then an uncle, another uncle, then my Dad...and it continued. Of course there was usually a remaining family get together too.

But now, all those "resting" are in another state so I'm not doing any visiting...however, kids of kids have carried on...I thank them for that.

I see nothing wrong with remembering loved ones...I'm not "worshipping" the dead but feel it to be a sense of responsibility to check on the headstones...and even if they are dead, I am still respectful.

[laserhaas]

9. Concur

I think to each their own.

Could be a religion that thinks death is sacrosanct.

[A Little Weird]

7. I still know several older folks who call it Decoration Day

I always helped my mom and grandma to put the flowers on the graves. For us, it was never really about veterans specifically but something that was done for family regardless of whether or not they served.

It seems most people don't do it anymore. Possibly this is because we tend to be more mobile as a society than we used to be. My family has lived within the same general area for generations. When we go to decorate the graves, the three different graveyards we visit are within about a 15 mile radius.

My brother has moved to another state and I am farther away than I once was. I'm not sure if I will try to continue this tradition once my mother can no longer do it.

[laserhaas]

10. never heard of Decoration Day

Until today.