HONORING THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF SERVICE

On a day that is often synonymous with sales and summer, we are focusing on reflection and remembrance for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. This holiday (first known as Decoration Day) holds high importance to all within the GRIZZLY Cookware family, so we are highlighting a bit about its history and the meaningful ways that we can all observe the day. 

About Memorial Day

Originally called Decoration Day, Major General John A. Logan chose the date of May 30th as a time for the country to adorn graves of those who died fighting in the Civil War, with flowers. Almost one hundred years later, after the end of World War I, the observance of Decoration Day was expanded to include honoring the lives of service men and women lost in all American wars. 

Memorial Day and Veterans Day - What is the difference?

Though both holidays carry immeasurable significance, militarily and personally, there are distinct differences worth recognizing. Perhaps, the most important difference to remember is this: Veterans Day honors those who have served in the military and Memorial Day honors those who lost their lives while serving.

This Memorial Day we invite you to join us in reflection and remembrance, greeting the opportunity to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom and a more perfect union.  If you are looking for intentional ways to celebrate and observe this year, we humbly offer these ideas:

1. National Moment of Remembrance
1. Take part in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00pm (local time) to honor the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen servicemen and women.   
2. Read more about Memorial Day’s history and significance: 
1. Our team found the links included in this blog post to be insightful and we hope you will too. https://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/memorial-day/history/
3. American Flag
1. If you’re flying an American flag on Memorial Day, you might be interested to know that it flies at half-staff until noon, then is raised to fly full-staff for the rest of the day. This is the only day when both flag positions are observed on the flagpole. 
4. Wear or display a red poppy
1. Flowers are part of the origin story for Decoration Day (now Memorial Day).  In fact, a well-considered part in choosing the last Monday in May, was the fact that flowers would be in bloom all over the country. This simple yet particularly thoughtful act, strikes us as a poignant reminder of the time when graves were first honored through flower decoration. 
5. Visit a national cemetery
1. If there are national cemeteries open in your area, consider visiting either on Memorial Day or shortly after. Here is a compiled list of national cemeteries by state: https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/allnational.asp 

Sources

https://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp

7 Things to Remember on Memorial Day | Guideposts 

4 Things to Remember Every Memorial Day (businessinsider.com