A day that most Americans look forward to for a three day weekend, cocktails, and outside barbecues, Memorial Day is actually one of the most misunderstood American ‘holidays.’ Most people probably wouldn’t give a second thought to wishing someone a happy Memorial Day but for many of us “happy Memorial Day” is a contradiction to the somber day set aside to reflect on our friends and family who paid for our liberty with their lives.
As an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran, I can honestly say that there is etiquette when it comes to Memorial Day. There are ways to enjoy the end of a long weekend that both honor the meaning of the day and that completely disrespect the Americans lost to war. In this article I’m going to share many of the ignorant and flat out ridiculous things that Veterans hear every year and how to avoid being one of those jerks.
Originally called “Decoration Day” the holiday to honor those who died in war while serving in the US military was held every May 30th regardless of the day of the week until the 1970’s. Originally Decoration Day was used to honor those killed in the Civil War but would expand after World War 1 to include all veterans killed in war. The “Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968” would create what we now know as Memorial Day moving the holiday to the last Monday of May and giving people a three day weekend.
Memorial Day is a “federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who had died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.” Here are some of the Do’s and Don’ts of celebrating Memorial Day. [...]
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