While Memorial Day may mark the unofficial start of summer and warmer weather, it is also a special day to honor and remember those who have died in the line of their duty in protecting our country. We have compiled together some Memorial Day activities which you can do at home or with other residents in our community. So, if you’re wondering what you can do to honor their selfless acts, read on to find out!
National Moment of Remembrance
A form of tribute on Memorial Day that everyone can easily participate in, is to observe a “national moment of remembrance” for those who have died in the line of duty while serving the country. This can be done at home or you can come together with other residents. It involves staying still for one minute at 3 pm local time.
Attend a Flag Raising Ceremony
There is no better way to start Memorial Day than to attend a flag-raising ceremony with other residents in our communities. A ceremony to raise the American flag which is then slowly lowered to half-mast is a symbolic way of remembering those who have given up their lives for our country and reminiscing about our country’s history as a community.
Poppy Flowers
On Memorial Day, it’s common to find red poppy flowers everywhere across the country as they’re the universal remembrance flower and have been used to mourn the deaths of the soldiers who died in their line of duty since World War I. An activity that you can do on Memorial Day with other residents is to make your own poppies out of paper and even make them into a wreath if you’d like. To create your very own poppy flower, paint six coffee filters with water and red paint. Thereafter, put together two big coffee filters and one half of a divided filter. Make a hole in the middle and insert a pipe cleaner to represent the stem.
Yellow Ribbons
Yellow ribbons symbolize support for American soldiers and troops. Another simple activity to honor the soldiers who have lost their lives during the war is to decorate your home or yard with yellow ribbons on Memorial Day.
Pay Tribute at a Soldier Cemetry
Traditionally, Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day as people would gather to decorate the graveyards of the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for our country. As such, you can check whether your community has organized any bus trips to a soldier cemetery or military landmark so that you can place flower bouquets in memory of these soldiers. Instead of buying the flower bouquets from a florist, it would be much more meaningful if you crafted some of your own flower bouquets.
Making Unique Patriotic Crafts
A fun yet meaningful activity that you can take part in either alone or with other residents in the community is to make unique patriotic crafts such as tie-dyed shirts in colors such as red, blue, and white. These shirts can then be sold to visitors who may visit the community on Memorial Day to raise money for a local military group that supports the families of the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives.
