"Memorial Day" - USA

[emschin]

When I was a child--oh, those many decades ago--we used to call it "Decoration Day". We went to the cemetery and left flowers on graves of loved ones. I remember it because my twin sister, Marjorie, had died as a young child and that's where we went. We picked the flowers from our own garden

Comments

[pondhopper]

I remember my dad calling it Decoration Day.
Was it common to honour all departed loved ones and not just military?

[emschin]

It seemed to be when I was quite young.

[mummm]

I remember it too... being called "Decoration Day". I don't remember when that was changed though.

[zoe_1418]

World War II seems to have been a turning point for a lot of formerly pacifist Brethren. My parents both have siblings who served. I remember being surprised to hear my dad say that the only reason he didn't was that he was a farmer in the 1940s, and farmers were needed on the home front. (I had before that assumed he had been a conscientious objector.) My mother had a night job sewing Army tents.

[laciann]

How old were you when Marjorie passed away? Do you have memories of her?

[emschin]

We were only 10 months old so I don't have any personal memories. There are all the stories that others in my family told me over the years. I treasure the snapshots that people took of us.

[rodluvan]

We have not memory day in Sweden. Interesting to read about it.