Pause your picnic to embrace Memorial Day’s real meaning
Memorial Day. The gateway to summer. The kickoff to barbecue season. The search for the white linen pants in the back of the closet.
While Memorial Day is associated with the excitement of summer, before you crack open a cold one or grill up some hot dogs, show some decorum and solemnity for the ultimate sacrifice made over the years by many of our men and women in the service.
The observance and traditions of Memorial Day have been lost in the mad rush of the three-day weekend. The National Holiday Act of 1971 moved Memorial Day from its century-old home of May 30 to the last Monday of the month, creating what we now mark on our calendars as the inaugural barbecue.
Memorial Day is steeped in tradition and protocol spanning three centuries. Dating back to the Civil War, Decoration Day, as it was known, was born out of the tradition of decorating the graves of loved ones. The tradition continues today across the country as a way of memorializing the heroes who have died in service to our country. This is not to be confused with Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is largely intended to honor the lives of the living.
Here are a few suggestions on how you can embrace and acknowledge the deeper meaning of Memorial Day:
Dust off your white pumps or press your seersucker suit and consider attending the Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, where tens of thousands of American flags will have been placed by volunteers. The keynote speaker is retired U.S. Marine Colonel Joseph C. Long, director of the New Mexico Veterans Business Outreach Center and a Purple Heart recipient. This is not a festivity but a moving tradition to honor the lives of those who have passed.
You may also show your respect by pausing for the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time Monday. Observe a moment of silence, collectively or privately, in your own way.
A symbol of Memorial Day is the vivid red poppy and is worn as a tribute to fallen servicemen and women. The poppy pins are assembled by disabled veterans, and proceeds go to assist veterans and their families. Look for the trademarked Buddy Poppy at your local veterans’ service organizations.
Gentleman place the pin on their left lapel over their heart, and ladies a bit higher on the chest, nearer the shoulder and collar bone to lie flat. The tradition dates back to the Great War (World War I) and is inspired by Canadian poet John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields.”
“In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
“Between the crosses, row on row …”
On Memorial Day, flags will fly at half-mast until noon. One raises the flag swiftly to the peak and then lowers slowly to half-mast. There is meaning in every movement.
Throughout the Santa Fe National Cemetery, flags are placed upright, with precision, and 12 inches from the front of the marble graves at the center line. They are placed directly above center at flat granite markers.
When addressing members of the military, whether still in service or retired, use their military title and surname, such as Lt. Lujan. But after introductions have been made, the title alone suffices.
Whether you are attending a baseball game or a Memorial Day ceremony, ladies, gentlemen and children always rise and stand quietly during the National Anthem. Men remove their hats and baseball caps, and hold them in their right hand over their hearts as a flag passes by. Ladies, unless you are wearing a baseball cap, you can leave your hat on.
Consider being of service at 9 a.m. Tuesday, when the task of removing the 40,000 flags from the graves at the national cemetery begins.
While you pack your picnic or drive to the campground for the weekend, explain to the youth in your life, as well as remind yourself, of the significance of Memorial Day as you pass these public displays of patriotism. It’s impossible not to be affected by the rows of bright white marble graves as you drive north out of town. Eight members of our New Mexico community are buried there every day.
No matter your political leanings during this wartime, the holiday is just as relevant now and requires multiple generations to serve as stewards to honor those who sacrificed to protect our freedoms.
If you’d like to volunteer or learn more about events at the national cemetery, contact Director James Sanders at 505-988-6400.
Send your comments to hello@etiquettesantafe.com or 988-2070.