Memorial Day

Today we celebrate Memorial Day in America. Originally called Decoration Day and honoring the civil war soldiers who died, it became a national holiday in the 1960s (or is it early 1970s?) and opened to honor all military deaths. Nowadays it's celebrated with BBQs and beer and a vat of commercialism. However, it was originally a somber day to remember and mourn the dead. It's an interesting thing this mourning of the dead. Western culture finds it a somber event...even with most of its (white spiritual) belief that the dead are going to be in a better place than holds them like kings and queen of old (in reverence) probably due to its roots in Puritan and Quakerism. In contrasting colors, the other cultures (most notably Spanish, Indian, Native, and African American communities) view death as a joyous celebration. They celebrate the life lived and its (possible) afterlife.

Cleaning the cemetery (and essentially caring for the dead) are also among the major acts done on this day. Poppies were assigned the flower of its occurrence (and evolved to encompass all military-living and dead, wounded and healthy) after it observed germination and regrowth after the destruction in 19 teens (famed by poems, 1915 by John McCrae, a surviving soldier and 1918, Moina Michael, "the poppy lady" who was inspired by McCrae's poem.

So I bid thee take this time to appreciate and honor those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and enjoy it as you wish!