When I was a kid growing up my folks would take us to the cemeteries to put flowers on the graves. Mom would make a nice dinner and my aunts and uncles would come over. I don't remember doing anything else special on that day.

Mom and I still go to the cemetery to plant flowers on the graves of family members. In fact yesterday we went to the greenhouse and bought the traditional geraniums and begonias she always buys, and as soon as these cold rainy days stop we will go to the cemetery to plant them. She is the only one of her sisters that do this, mostly because she still lives in the small town where her family was raised. The practice of "planting the graves" will most certainly pass to me as my brother has no interest.

All the years we were growing up, Mom and us kids would follow the town parade on Memorial Day up the hill to the cemetery and listen to the service (kids used to decorate their bikes and win a prize), then the list of all veterans buried there who fought in all the wars would be read, then the color guard would salute with rifles (everyone covered their ears! except living veterans who stood at attention). I remember horses on nearby farms would run around their pastures when they heard the marching parade and the guns go off. Then taps was played and everyone returned home.

In those days practically the whole town turned out and flags were passed out to those lining the parade route and everyone walked to the cemetery, but now days there is no parade and the high school band only plays the national anthem at the cemetery. Mom and I haven't gone for several years. I just saw in today's paper that a veteran of the Iraq War will speak this year, if it's a nice day I think I'll give Mom a call and see if she'll go with me. Like old times.

This was originally known as Decoration Day.

Flowers were taken and placed on the graves of those who died while in action.

Like all such holidays now, it is mainly forgotten or misunderstood.

May 15th was Armed Forces Day, only one person in my neighborhood flew a flag that day. I am embarrassed to admit I didn't even know it was Armed Forces Day.

So many of our holidays have been changed; some just to allow for three day weekends.

It is a different world now, but not a better one.

Sue

We, too always take care of the graves....It's pretty much a tradition in this area to have all the cemeteries spruced up....One of the scout groups will place flags at all the veterans graves....We also have a huge parade and starting in 1972, I had kids in the high school band and every year I sat through those parades...When the kids graduated, the grands took over and last year was the 1st year, I had no one marching....It's still a big holiday around here.....

I don't, but I remember, growing up, my family always made a trip to the cemetary, cleaned up around the graves and put flowers.

Back in my teaching days, we always had school, but very few attended that day.

No school here...

we used to play baseball tournaments..but even that has gone away..It's a very boring weekend..

I may just take the boys to the cemetery and leave a little something for GGrandma. There are others there, but the boys only knew her.

The American Legion post in town decorates graves in the area - many at Ft. Sheridan -- and erects flags along the main streets of town. Earlier, paper poppies are sold to benefit veterans' organizations. There's a parade, then speeches at Market Square. (Not sure how that will work this year, as re-paving has been underway in town.) We sometimes have military bands, but also those from the schools.

When I was a child WWII had only been over for a few years. I was a Bluebird, then a Camp Fire Girl. All the boys and girls marched in the town parade, along with bands and veterans. People lined the streets. My mother arranged for flowers to be put on her father's grave in RI. (He served in the Spanish American War.) We flew the flag from Grandfather's casket at our home -- a huge, woolen flag with 48 stars that took some work to get up and flying.

When my mother was a girl in a little country town in RI in around 1910 the whole town turned out for a full day of observances. The day started with all the young girls gathering lilacs and proceeding to the cemetery. There they were matched with veterans of the Civil War and Spanish American War. The youngest girl and oldest veteran went together to place flowers, followed by the other pairs in the same order. After Taps the celebrations began and lasted into the night. Our country was newer then and the Revolutionary and Civil wars were not 'distant history'.

When I was growing up, we did not do anything special. We lived a couple of hours away from the cemetery where my dad's family was buried.
Now I live right across the street from a cemetery and we have a town parade that ends inside the cemetery and they have speakers. I usually go to the parade if it isn't too hot that day.

My Town has a parade. The marchers include Boy Scouts, girls scouts, Little League, you get it, all kids. I always go to watch. They start at a school and end up at our library which has a big permanent Memorial to all our Armed Forces.

Not anymore. I don't like traveling on the big weekends. Hate fighting crowds.

For years hubby and I decorated all the graves in his family. It usually took a full day and $100+ dollars. I never gave it a thought, we did all his family (large family) and mine (a small family), it was just something that we did. Then someone complained about the flowers we chose. That did it. Never did it again.

So now we do only him mom and now this year, we will add my mom's grave.

We go up to our house on the lake every Memorial Weekend. It feels like the start of summer once we hit that weekend.

My grandmother would cut her lilacs and peonies and wrap them in damp newspaper and bring them to our house. Mother would pick ours and also buy geraniums and morning glories for the planters at the cemetary. I don't remember ever going with them. I do remember one year my dad and I painted the garage and listened to the 500. In fact, we listened every year. In the evening we always had a cookout. I loved that holiday because it meant the end of school for three whole glorious months!

Forgot--no, we don't do anything special now except watch the 500. I remember one year we were in our "woods house" and couldn't get the race. I just have to watch the pregame and all the tradition that goes with it. Especially when Jim Nabors sings "Back Home Again In Indiana". So Harry rigged an antenna and hooked it up to the truck radio and stood outside the truck and held it up so I could hear it. That's about the sweetest thing he's ever done.

We always attend the big Memorial Day service at our Madeira Beach Legion..hundreds show up-it's a very moving ceremony, followed by picnic fare. All of my deceased family are buried in PA. so I can't decorate their graves any longer since moving to FL..but my cousin handles it for me. Then when I go up later each summer..I replant fresh flowers then.

lynn d - that reminds of the time Mom had an extra marigold or two and placed them on an uncle's grave. We went back up to water everything a couple of days later and the marigold had been dug out and put aside. We guessed his wife (my aunt,her sister-in-law) didn't appreciate that. Funny, cause she only started planting flowers a few years before. So Mom doesn't put anything on my uncle's grave anymore!

I'll be working that day. Growing up we always had a bar b
que on Memorial Day.

The cemeteries around here you are not allowed to plant flowers, it makes it more work to mow and trim. Years ago on Decoration Day, my Dad would spend that day or weekend at the cemetery and take donations for the care of the cemetery. He and later my Mother took care of all the records and monies for the nearby cemetery where a lot of our family is buried.

Sue

growing up we always had a bbq, the whole family together. some members would go to cemetery, but as soon as any decorations were put on graves here they would be gone the next day, so we stopped. i never went anyway, honestly i think its morbid but thats just my opinion...we always looked through albums. i know it sounds awful cold but i wont go to funerals at all. i do however think its in very poor taste when families do visit loved ones and plant something that your loved ones loved like say mums, something non invasive, only to go the next day and see a huge pile of everyones plants in a huge pile...boy that makes me madder than a wet hen!!!!

We rarely do anything on special days or holidays.

When I was young and at home my parents always made the trek to the cemetary to decorate their parents gravesites...since I'm so far away from mine I decorate them when I'm near...most of the time it's 4th of July and we have to shepards hooks on either side of their monument so my sis's and I will usually hang something patriotic on them...

Memorial day for me was usually the end of school...getting together with family and listening to the Indy 500!!

Now it seems to be just another three day weekend...

no we just enjoy the offical beginning of the summer season...we do fly our flag, and when dd ws in band, attended the parade...

I started going to the cemetaries and helping my grandparents when I was about 5 or so. I would go for the weekend and we would go all over the country to all the cemetaries where family members where buried. I have already started the tradition with my little ones even though the oldest is almost 7. We go to my father in laws gravesite and the kids bring rags and help me clean off the stone and leave flowers for him. I think it is important to share this tradition and its importance with little ones. Now they point out every cemetary that we come to.

Stacie

Growing up we spent that weekend out at the lake with a group of Navy people my dad knew, swimming, fishing, camping. Today, although, I don't do anything special, it has a lot more meaning to me than it did while I was growing up. I think it's sad that it's not thought of for it's original purpose.