Memorial Day Weekend: Creative and Traditional Ways My Family Celebrates

Memorial Day is a special time when we reflect on the men and women in uniform who have contributed so much to the protection of our freedoms. When I was growing up, my family often marked the Memorial Day weekend with a variety of traditional activities that included attendance at local parades and participation in community observations, including placing flags at the graves of war veterans and attending church services. Additionally, we celebrated in private ways that included family barbecues and picnics.

When I got married and had a family of my own, I continued to uphold many of these family traditions. However, I also looked for ways to personalize them as well as create opportunities for my son and his friends to be involved. One of the ways we did this was to obtain a list of the veterans who lived in the area and take them out to places they enjoyed visiting as well as to other local Memorial Day activities of interest. For those veterans who were unable to get out into the community for any Memorial Day weekend activities due to medical challenges, we would go to them and spend time with them. Some years, the children baked muffins and breads with the help of adults and this was a huge hit. Other times, they made craft items from various materials, including wood, with each veteran's name, dates of services, and a personalized "thank you" proudly and appreciatively dispalyed on each. The children enjoyed distributing the tiems they had made as much as the veterans enjoyed receiving their gifts and visits.

Several Memorial Day weekend activities I helped create and organize involved the adults and children in musical or drama and other presentations. One year we held a storytelling hour during a neighborhood barbecue. The theme involved the history of Memorial Day and what the holiday meant in today's world. The next year we did an informal talent show that everyone at the neighborhood barbecue seemed to enjoy. Both children and adults contributed in some way, including reading a Memorial Day story, singing patriotic songs, dancing a Memorial Day "jig", and doing a short skit on why we love our veterans.

Another year, we held a play at a local community center and presented several different stories. After each act, the curtains would fall and the stage was set up for the next story. During that interval, the audience participated in a discussion regarding what they had observed and shared their thoughts and opinions. The play was repeated the next year because it had been so well received as well as because the discussions had managed to get the audience really involved.

This year and at this point of time, I'm still not certain what the plans for the Memorial Day weekend will be. The children are no longer in elementary school and we've moved to a new location. However, since we enjoy parades and they are such a part of traditional Memorial Day weekend activities, we probably will be attending at least one. There are also other observations and celebrations locally as well as statewide that we may want to attend, especially if the weather is nice and we are traveling in the area. However, our plans this year will definitely include time to visit graves of soldiers to say prayers as well as to visit at least one veteran and present him with baked goodies and a personalized, handmade wall plaque.

Places you may want to visit and activities you may want to participate in with your family if you are in New Hampshire this Memorial Day weeekend include parades, special entertainment, and traditional observations. On Friday, May 25th, for example, a parade is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Amherst, beginning at the Town Green. On Saturday, May 26th, the WGIR Family Fair and Sky Show will take place at the Arms Park in Manchester, beginning at 1:00 p.m. There will reportedly be rides and plenty of entertainment , food and drink, for the children. A motorcycle stunt team will perform and there will be a variety of musical acts throughout the day. The Sky Show fireworks will start at approximately 9:15 p.m.

For more information on activities in cities and towns of New Hampshire this Memorial Day weekend, visit: www.newhampshire.com/article.aspx?headline=Me.
Be sure to have a very enjoyable, safe Memorial Day weekend as you, too, celebrate in your own special way.