REMEMBERING FALLEN HEROES ON MEMORIAL DAY 2022
Memorial Day 2022 may be filled with deals and discounts, barbecues, and parties, but at its heart, it’s still a somber occasion. While we eat some great food and enjoy hundreds of dollars worth of discounts from the biggest stores around, let’s take a moment to reflect and remember this May 30th on Memorial Day. Read next:When Is Military Appreciation Month? Why Do We Celebrate It?
Memorial Day 2022: Honoring Sacrifice and Courage
As the name implies, Memorial Day is a holiday that serves as a remembrance of someone. But of whom? you may ask. Memorial Day comes at the end of Military Appreciation Month, and that means that this is a time we spend honoring the sacrifice of our departed military members. Military service takes a lot out of the people who serve. They happily sacrifice a ton of personal freedom and their own safety in order to serve and protect this great nation. Sometimes, they make the ultimate sacrifice to keep their fellow servicemembers and compatriots safe and out of harm’s way. This is a day for those people who showed the ultimate courage that most of us couldn’t even begin to imagine. While you may hear people flippantly throwing around “happy Memorial Day” from time to time, don’t forget that this is very much a time of grieving for the surviving friends and family members of those troops who are no longer with us. Remember to be thoughtful and courteous in how you celebrate the day.
Memorial Day 2022 Date & Closures
When is Memorial Day this year? If you skipped a few paragraphs, you’ll be happy to know that Memorial Day is on May 30th, which is a Monday. The date changes every year, as the original legislation in 1971 decreed Memorial Day be held on the final Monday in May every year – a great closer to Military Appreciation Month. Many private businesses and schools are closed for Memorial Day, but the majority of fast-food chains and big box stores will remain open. Since Memorial Day is a federal holiday, government offices and banks will also be closed. Memorial Day 2023 will be on May 29th.
The Memorial Day Parade & Other Events
One of the most popular events during Memorial Day are the parades. You’ll find these street celebrations happening all across the country for Memorial Day 2022 in honor of our fallen servicemembers. If you want to know, “Where are some Memorial Day events near me?” just be prepared for at least 75% of them to be parades. One of the most popular Memorial Day parades is held by the American Veterans Center. Back for the first time since 2019, their Memorial Day 2022 celebration promises to be a huge hit. The parade will happen in Washington, D.C., and it starts at 1400. It will be airing live on ABC, CBS, CW, NBC, and Fox, so be sure to tune in! You don’t have to attend a flashy parade or city-wide party to show your respect this Memorial Day. If you do want to show your support with a small celebration, hang up a few classy Memorial Day decorations around your venue. Don’t use anything that could be seen as offensive to the servicemembers who have passed or their families. If you do know a particularly fun-loving servicemember or are close with the family of someone who has passed who is a high-spirited bunch, feel free to use a Memorial Day meme or two if they’re comfortable with that. Do you have an American flag on a pole in your yard or in front of your business? The Memorial Day flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to noon. After noon has passed, you should quickly raise the flag to full-staff until sunset. Looking for some poems for Memorial Day to share? Check out a few fun and heartfelt options over on our article Exploring Poems for the Military & Vets on National Haiku Poetry Day.
Memorial Day Quotes
One of the best Memorial Day thank-yous is to share meaningful Memorial Day quotes. We have a sampling of good options you can discuss during Memorial Day 2022 with your friends and family members.
- “This is the day we pay homage to all those who didn’t come home. This is not Veterans Day, it’s not a celebration, it is a day of solemn contemplation over the cost of freedom.” - Tamara Bolton
- "I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism." - Bob Riley
- "Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future." - Elie Wiesel
- "The legacy of heroes — the memory of a great name, and the inheritance of a great example." - Benjamin Disraeli
- "No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation." - General Douglas MacArthur
- "Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death." - Sun Tzu
- "A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." - Joseph Campbell
- "Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it." - Unknown
Whether you’re celebrating Memorial Day 2022 or using it as a day for solemn remembrance, there’s no questioning the importance of this holiday to our nation’s strength and its contribution to the beautifully complex tapestry of the United States of America. More like this:Military Appreciation Month: Saluting Those Who Serve