10 Things to Do on Memorial Day

Travel often tops the list of things to do on Memorial Day. Because Memorial Day is always held on a Monday, Americans are treated to a three-day weekend, and the weather in most parts of the country is nice. Whether travel is in your plans or not, it's important to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is set aside as a day to remember Americans who died in the Armed Forces in the ongoing effort to preserve freedom for the citizens of the United States of America. The following things to do on Memorial Day include preserving the importance of this very special day of observance.

1. Say a prayer for all of the deceased service men and women.
2. Take part in a Memorial Day parade. If you cannot take part in the parade itself, attend the parade to show your allegiance to those who have fought so bravely for our freedom.
3. Visit a cemetery. That doesn't mean you have to travel across the country or even across town. Drive to the nearest cemetery and walk through. Stop at every grave with a flag and say a short prayer of thanks.
4. Purchase a dozen flowers. Place one flower on each grave.
5. Plan a short family vacation to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and view the 300,000 graves, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
6. Visit a library and read about Memorial Day. Learn when Memorial Day was first observed and what it stands for. Better yet, bring a child along and pass on the information so that one more generation will understand the importance of this day.
7. Hold a Memorial Day observance of your own. Invite the entire neighborhood to a potluck at your house. Serve red, white and blue desserts and display a flag for all to see. When it comes time to say Grace, include a tribute to our fallen service men and women.
8. Visit a local military museum. Though there are military museums in most states, depending on where you live in relationship to the museum, you may have to travel a bit, so make sure you pack an overnight bag. You could also choose to visit the home of a United States president or a Presidential library, if you have one nearby. These places often have exhibits that discuss the choices the president made during a war or military action.
9. Offer to help clean up soldiers' gravesites in your local town. To raise funds for cemetery upkeep, hold a community wide yard sale and accompanying bake sale.
10. Buy a Memorial Day Poppy and wear it proudly. Better yet, drop in at your local VA Hospital and ask if you can help the disabled veterans at the facility create the red paper poppies for the next Memorial Day observance.