NO! to Memorial Day; YES! to Decoration Day
Posted: Sunday, May 29, 2011
by Patricia Barbee
http://www.patriciabarbee.com
Respect of this once hallowed day has died.
Growing up, at school every year our class would have to write a paper or have an open discussion on “Decoration Day”. Then all the classes would silently, the usual practice, walk to our auditorium for an assembly. Our Headmaster[all girls’ schools, but the lady was never Headmistress] would welcome us to the assembly. Girls dressed in costume would re-enact the reason for the day.
Decoration Day, those who died in wars were remembered of course, but for us girls it was a reminder of our fore parents and their graves were to be given respectful attention too.
Songs would be sung. God, Jesus, Yahweh were not outlawed in any of our assemblies.
Changing the name from Decoration Day to Memorial Day gave the stores and businesses an excuse to have “Memorial Day Sales”. I do not recall ever hearing of a “Decoration Day Sale”.
If the businesses want to have a sale, pick a better day or weekend. I am NOT shopping. Many are NOT shopping.
An aside: My Dad’s family had three funerals yesterday. They were held in three different parts of the Country. How dare, anyone say, “Happy Memorial Day” to any of the relatives! There is nothing “happy” for the relatives except seeing each other, yet missing the deceased and those scattered to the other funerals.
They will be sharing meals, maybe cookouts because they are together, but there is no fun in “beginning the summer with a Memorial Day barbecue” as being touted by supermarkets.
Before death started splitting my immediate family in my teens, we had moved to a neat house on a busy avenue. I was past the age of exploring the neighborhood and did not know there was a huge cemetery behind the houses across the street and down few blocks behind those houses.
We learned early one real May 30th Decoration Day. So many buses lined our avenue early we could not see one of the largest parks in the City. Then we heard the bands.
For a long morning we listened. Then the beat of the drums came past out home as the bands marched to their buses. Thoughts of the young drummers accompanying the Revolutionary War units bloomed in my head.
Mom carried on the tradition of my Grandparents. There was total respect with quiet time before twelve noon on Decoration Day. We did not go to any graves because all were buried in faraway states. We stayed in and shared memories of the deceased.
To the long gone and newly departed, you are remembered.
Patricia Barbee © 2011
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