As Memorial Day approaches I was thinking about what we were going to do to celebrate. Usually in the past we have had cookouts with friends and family or have gone camping. What do you do on this holiday weekend?Here are some ideas for Memorial Day from the "Traditions" book by Kimberly Bytheway.
Family Flag:
Make an annual family flag to fly outside your home on Memorial Day, in addition to the American flag. Either have each member decorate his or her own section of the flag, or have all help to create a design that typifies the family as a whole. Explain to one another why you include specific designs, and why each design is special to that year. Display all the past flags if you wish to see the changes that have taken place in your family over the years.
Visit the Cemetery:
Take time to visit a cemetery as a family. Pick special grave sites to visit, or walk around discovering others. Read what the families of the departed have written on their stones. Talk about what you as a family would like others to say about you once you have departed, and discuss the legacy you would like to pass on to your family upon your death.
Family History Library:
Visit a Family History Library in your area. Take a tour, and learn how to use the sources available to research and find the members of your family. discover your heritage and the blood lines from which you came. You may even find someone "famous" to whom you are related. Discuss the importance of ancestry with your children to give them a sense of belonging within your own family.
Take A Hike:
"A Memorial Day tradition for our family is to go hiking to Grandeur Peak in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then eat snacks and treats when we get to the top." - Nancy McMurray
8 comments:
Thanks for sharing. Great ideas.
We normally visit all our loved ones, that are not with us any longer. This year, we'll be visiting Terry's (husband) Mom also; she just passed away on April 10th. Our boys want to have lunch with Grandma . . . so we'll be having a picinic lunch at her grave. I absolutely LOVE the idea, as I know she would too! ;o) I love the family flag idea! Thanks for sharing Kasey!
What a fun post! We like to plant a flower in our yard in honor of an ancestor! For example I planted a foxglove in honor of my grandma, it was purple her middle name was Violet and it was a tall beautiful flower. My other grandme was tiny, but had great strength! So we planted what I believe was a primrose. It was a pink flower that was really hearty and and popped up everywhere! It was fun to have everyone say, "look at Grandma Bennion, she is everywhere!"
Well, usually we are working. But this year we are off. Not sure what we are doing but you provided a lot of great ideas. Thanks for sharing!
I love those ideas. It's also fun to make a flag cake using strawberries and blueberries. Another thing we have done is make a treat for someone who has fought in the war. The kids really liked that. A parade is always fun too.
Great ideas. We just stick around here. I go up to the cemetary on Saturday and make sure that our daughters headstone is nice and shiny and add cute touches. It's a day I can do something special for her. We do try to fit in a picnic!!
Really good ideas!
What neat ideas! Memorial Day is one of those holidays that seems to be overlooked, but it shouldn't be. Thanks for some wonderful ideas to make the day special.
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