The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Traditionally, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and a weekend full of parades, hamburgers and long road trips. Most importantly, it’s a day to remember those who have died in defense of this country, although the holiday had a rocky start in this regard.

Despite its status as a national holiday, the origins of what was once known as “Decoration Day” are shrouded in incomplete historical records and the division between the North and the South caused by the Civil War.

According to USMemorialDay.org, the original name for the holiday was inspired when women adorned Confederate soldiers’ gravestones after the Civil War ended. But tensions between the two regions caused the holiday to be stuck in limbo as a national celebration for more than 50 years

Memorial Day was first proclaimed in 1868 when the graves of soldiers buried at Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. were decorated. By 1890, all the northern states adopted the holiday, but the South refused and celebrated the dead in their own ways. That changed in the early 20th century, when the holiday was changed to also honor the people who died in World War I.

In 1971, the U.S. Congress officially made Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Holiday Travel 

The Memorial Day holiday is also a time to travel. According to AAA Southern New England, more than 34.9 million people in the United States will travel to celebrate the start of summer. Despite the high gas prices, that’s a .02 percent increase of 100,000 trips from last year.

While high gas prices make for water cooler conversations, AAA reports that six out of ten people say the cost of gas won’t impact their travel plans. Of those people who will have to modify travel plans, 70 percent plan to scale back their plans by saving more money or taking a shorter trip.

Here are some more stats: 

• Approximately 30.9 million (88 percent) will travel by auto. Last year, 31 million drove. 
• Approximately 2.93 million (8 percent) will fly, even though airfares are expected to increase 14 percent. That’s an 11.5 percent increase from last year
• The remaining 3 percent plan to travel by other modes of transportation such as rail, bus or boat.

Memorial Day Event Roundup

If you are choosing to stay closer to home for the holiday, here is a list of Memorial Day celebrations happening in towns in north central Connecticut:

EAST WINDSOR:

Saturday, May 28 - Placing of Flags on Veteran’s Graves

Sunday, May 29 - 2:30 p.m. Parade and Service at Melrose School House

Monday, May 30 - 8:45 a.m. Prayer Service at St. Catherine’s Cemetery
9:15 a.m. The parade formation will begin at the Town Hall Annex
10:00 a.m. Parade to North End Cemetery
10:20 a.m. Prayer at Cemetery, Reverend Thomas Calderone
10:35 a.m. Parade resumes to Veterans Memorial Green
11:30 a.m. Veterans Memorial Green Ceremonies. After the ceremonies, a Retiring the Flag will take place at the American Legion Hall

Visit http://www.eastwindsor-ct.gov/public_documents/ewindsorct_webdocs/2011%20Memorial%20Day%20Program.pdf for more information.

ELLINGTON:

Monday, May 30 - 9 a.m. Memorial Day parade at Crystal Lake. 
10:30 a.m. A Memorial Day ceremony will be held at Ellington High School 
11:30 a.m. Following the ceremony at Ellington High School there will be another parade, which will begin from the high school and proceed to the Ellington Green and then to the Ellington Cemetery for brief memorial tributes at each location.
 
Visit http://ellington-ct.gov/Calendar/Calendar.aspx/Town%20of%20Ellington/2011/5/30/559 for more information.

ENFIELD:

Saturday, May 28 - 8 a.m. Dedication of Mark Twain fields to two Enfield Marines killed in the Iraq War

Sunday, May 29 - 1 p.m. Enfield Memorial Day parade with special guests Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman. The parade will start at the corner of South Road and Enfield Street (Felician Sisters Residence) with ceremonies following on the Town Green. Retired Navy captain and former head of Rockville Bank William McGurk will speak.

Visit http://www.enfield-ct.gov/results.aspx?cx=010800908272351797352%3A4jw0wcrncqs&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=Memorial+Day&sa=Search#909 for more information.

MANCHESTER:

Monday, May 30 - 9:30 a.m. The Memorial Day Parade route will begin at the Army and Navy Club on 1090 Main Street and end at Center Memorial Park on the corner of Main and Center streets. The parade will be led by a horse and caisso, followed by bands, cannons and a fly-over. The Center Memorial Park ceremony will include a keynote speech by Manchester Board of Director Mark Tweedie and East Catholic High School student Jordon Savin, who will read his essay entitled, “What Memorial Day Means to Me.” In the event of rain, the Center Memorial Park program will be held in the Full Gospel Interdenominational Church at 745 Main Street at 11 a.m.

Visit http://www.townofmanchester.org/ for more information.

MANSFIELD:

Monday, May 30 - 9:00 a.m. Parade starts at 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Route 195 and Bassetts Bridge Road in Mansfield Center, and will travel North on 195, down Cemetery Road to the new Mansfield Center Cemetery.  At the cemetery, Deputy Mayor Antonia Moran will welcome parade-goers, State Rep. Gregory Haddad will give the address, Councilor Christopher Paulhus will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz will represent the Temple Bnai Israel and give the invocation and benediction.

Music will be provided by the Mansfield Middle School Band and the E.O. Smith Regional High School Band. Three volleys will be fired and taps sounded in honors for the fallen. The units will then return to Bassetts Bridge Road.

In the event of rain, an abbreviated ceremony will be held in the Mansfield Middle School Gymnasium. If necessary, an announcement will be made over WILI Radio by 7:30 a.m.

Visit http://www.mansfieldct.gov/controls/NewsFeed.aspx?FeedID=322 for more information.

SOMERS:

Saturday, May 28 - 10 a.m. A Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at the Somers High School auditorium. Students from Somers High School developed the entire program, which will include guest speakers, a video and music performed by the High School Band. The public is cordially invited to this approximately 1 1/2 hour-event to celebrate the town’s and nation’s veterans.

Visit http://www.somers.k12.ct.us/calendars/Dist_cal.html for more information.

SUFFIELD:

Monday, May 30 - 9 a.m. A Memorial Day Parade will depart from Ffyler Place and proceed up Mountain Road to North Main Street, around the Town Green and conclude with a brief ceremony at the Veterans Memorial. In case of rain, the day’s ceremonies will be held indoors in the Suffield High School Auditorium located at 1060 Sheldon Street.

Visit http://www.suffieldtownhall.com/content/search.aspx?search=Memorial%20Day for information on past Suffield Memorial Day parades.

TOLLAND: 

Sunday, May 29 - 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Lions Club will hold a Pancake Breakfast on the Town Green prior to the parade.

1:00 p.m. The Town will honor members of the military who have made the ultimate sacrifice when it holds its 20th Annual Tolland Memorial Day Parade and Service, rain or shine. The parade will line up in the parking lot next to the Preschool of the Arts on Route 74 at noon and will step off at 1 p.m. The parade will travel along Route 74 and past the historic Tolland Green, then turn right onto Old Post Road and end at the Tolland Intermediate School.

A memorial ceremony will follow in the field in front of the school featuring the Tolland High School band, soloists Kelsey Kaplan and Amanda Danielson and a poem recited by Sir Barry Simons of Tolland. Parade-goers may want to visit the "Wall of Honor," which honors Tolland veterans, before or during the parade. They may enter through the Public Works entrance of Town Hall and see it in the hallway across from the Recreation Department.

Visit  for more information.

VERNON: 

Sunday, May 29 - 9:30 a.m. The Talcottville Memorial Day Parade will begin at the Talcottville Congregational Church at 10 Elm Hill Road and will lead to the Mt. Hope Cemetery, where the second-oldest Civil War monument in the nation stands. Light refreshments will be served after the cemetery service, and a short, non-sectarian worship service will take place after the parade at the church. The parade will take place rain or shine.

Monday, May 30 - 8:30 a.m. The Vernon Memorial Day Parade will start at the St. Bernard Cemetery then continue to the Grove Hill Cemetery at 10:20 a.m., followed by a Wreath Laying in the center of town at 11 a.m. The parade is being presented by the town and the American Legion Post 14, with Grand Marshal William McGurk, who recently retired after three decades as president and chief executive officer of Rockville Bank. McGurk is a Navy veteran.

Visit Visit  and for more information.

WINDSOR:

Monday, May 30 - 8 a.m. The Town of Windsor Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at the Elm Grove Cemetery located in Poquonock beginning at 8 a.m. followed by a ceremony at Veterans Cemetery at 9 a.m. Following the ceremony at Veterans Cemetery, the Memorial Day Parade will proceed to Town Hall via Poquonock Avenue for the Parade Marshal's address. The parade usually arrives in the center of town between 9:45 and 10 a.m. The 2011 Parade Marshal is Lieutenant Commander Wallace (Ace) Harrison, U.S. Navy. In case of rain, there will be one single ceremony in the Town Hall Council Chambers at 10 a.m.

Visit http://www.townofwindsorct.com/index.php?view=124 for more information.

WINDSOR LOCKS:

Monday, May 30 - 8:30 a.m. Windsor Locks Memorial Day ceremonies, presented by the Veterans Council, will start at Grove Cemetery at 8:30 a.m., then at the Windsor Locks-East Windsor Bridge at 9 a.m. for those servicepeople lost at sea. This will be followed by a service at St. Mary Cemetery.

10:30 a.m. - The parade will start at 10:30 a.m. at West and Spring streets and will march to West Street, Spring Street, east to Main Street then south on Main Street to Memorial Hall.

Visit http://www.windsorlocksct.org/news/ for more information.