Rosebuds

The Rose Hotel Blog

Why we celebrate Memorial Day

Memorial Day is upon us and that marks the unofficial start of summer – and a whole lot more for patriotic Americans who pause to remember the origins and meaning of this special national holiday.

While we encourage having fun we also encourage that you take time to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. It’s easy to overlook that fact that Memorial Day is the federal holiday set aside to remember U.S. soldiers who died while in military service. With tens of thousands of our troops currently fighting in long-running Middle East wars, Memorial Day takes on heightened meaning.

A statue of General John Logan, the military leader who
issued a proclamation that Memorial Day should be
celebrated nationwide

A national moment of remembrance takes place each Memorial Day – which lands on May 30 this year – at 3 p.m. local time.

Memorial Day was formerly known as Decoration Day because by 1865 the practice of decorating soldiers’ graves had become widespread in U.S. northern states.

General John A. Logan, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic – the organization for Northern Civil War veterans – issued a proclamation that Decoration Day should be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year, and today the tradition of visiting military memorials and cemeteries and decorating soldiers’ graves endures nationwide.

Another tradition is to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Many citizens fly the American flag on the outside of their home as an act of remembrance and patriotism.

We know that many of you will be traveling for Memorial Day. AAA of Northern California is reporting that, despite $4-a-gallon gasoline prices, Californians are determined to hit the road in big numbers to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday weekend. More than 4 million Californians plan on traveling 50 miles or more this coming weekend, according to AAA survey results, and many millions more will be doing the same across the United States.

According to AAA, more than 3.5 million Golden State residents will travel by car, while 460,000 will fly to their destinations. This is quite impressive when you consider that the California and national numbers are roughly equal to the number of travelers last Memorial Day weekend – even though gas prices are a dollar-per-gallon more expensive this time around.

Some of them will be enjoying the holiday right here at The Rose Hotel, taking advantage of our Staycation Special – a Deluxe King room with all of the amenities for just $239 plus tax. We’re also throwing in a Night on the Town package. (Make reservations or get more information at 800-843-9540.)

The tradition of decorating soldiers’ graves dates back
to the 19th century and remains a widespread
Memorial Day practice

We encourage those who have decided not to travel for financial reasons to consider some modest alternatives for celebrating the holiday, as suggested by Andrea Pyros, who lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and writes for RetailMeNot.com, one of the internet’s top coupon sites. Here are some picks from Ms. Pyros.

Visit a national park. The National Park Service oversees 58 national parks as well as hundreds of other national monuments and historical sites. Many parks plan special educational events for Memorial Day weekend. It’s the perfect occasion to enjoy the beauty and history our country has to offer. Visit the National Park Service website to find a site near you.

Pack a picnic lunch. What nicer way to kick off summer than to load up lunch and hit the open road for, well, anywhere you can lay your blanket.

Organize a scavenger hunt. If you and your kids won’t be traveling, host a scavenger hunt with a few other families. Come up with a fun, doable list of stuff for children to discover, keeping in mind the age of the participants. For younger kids, a backyard scavenger hunt with pictures instead of words is a good idea, or a cute list with easy-to-solve clues. Create teams, mixing adults and children so each group has a few chaperones to control the mayhem. Then let everyone go off and see who comes back first with all the items. If you’re feeling really ambitious, throw a barbecue or host a potluck lunch afterward. Or just offer up Popsicles for the kids and silly prizes – like bubbles from the dollar store or a pack of stickers – for the winning team.

Batter up! Attend a minor league baseball game. Between the steep prices on tickets, parking and concessions, a professional sporting event can cost a family a small fortune. Save a bundle by heading out to the ballpark to catch a minor league team instead (schedules at this Minor League Baseball website). The parks are smaller so you can see the action better; the food, drink and admission prices are much more reasonable; and the fans are generally less rowdy (though still enthusiastic).

Write a letter to the troops. Many of us are fortunate to be able to spend the three-day weekend with our families, but others are deployed far from home, doing a dangerous job. Visit Operation Gratitude to get information on writing a letter to a service member. Not only will it be doing a small kindness for someone who deserves our thanks, but it can also be a good way to speak to your children in an age-appropriate manner about the history of the holiday and the sacrifices made by our nation’s military.

Visit a farm. There are small, independent, family farms open to visitors around the country. Stop by one near you – it’s a wonderful way to teach your children more about how their meals actually get to the dinner table each night. Local Harvest can help locate one, but always call and confirm details before making any visits.

Go to a matinee. Sure, it’s not an outdoorsy activity, but if Memorial Day is a washout or it’s too hot outside, you can either stand at the window, staring at your barbecue grill wishing you could cook up those ribs, or you can take the whole brood to the theater. Memorial Day is the beginning of summer movie season, with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Kung Fu Panda 2 (both in 3D) opening in late May. Or adults can hire a sitter and then go see The Hangover Part II and the equally hilarious Bridesmaids.

Go bowling or miniature golfing. If the closest your kids get to a bowling alley or putting range is in front of their Wii, why not go old-school and have them actually do the real thing? Whether anyone in your family is any good is beside the point – everyone will get moving and laughing, and it gets you all out of the house.

Host a yard sale. Not exactly glamorous, but it’s satisfying to clear out your basement, garage and overflowing closets. Suggest to your kids that they set up a lemonade stand on the lawn the day of. You can talk to them about picking a charity that is important to them and have them send their earnings there. Consider visiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which raises funds for children with cancer.

See the city sights for cheap. If you’re going to be in a major urban area for Memorial Day, there are plenty of ways to save money. Go online and visit Smart Destinations and CityPASS. Both sites offer package deals to major tourist destinations in cities like Orlando, San Francisco, New York and Atlanta. For one low price you can see up to 10 attractions of your choice, saving you up to 50 percent.

See something enjoyable? We hope so.

We wish you a happy, safe and meaningful Memorial Day weekend.

Leave A Comment: