Memorial Day: Honoring Heroes with a Patriotic Picnic

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May and serves as a beautiful opportunity to come together as a family while remembering and honoring the brave individuals who have sacrificed their lives for our country. As we enjoy the day, let’s remember and teach our children the meaning of this important holiday.

What is Memorial Day?

Memorial Day began after the Civil War and is dedicated to honoring fallen members of the U.S. military. On Memorial Day, it’s customary to visit cemeteries and memorials or place American flags on the graves of military personnel who died while serving. (Note: this differs from Veterans Day, which honors all who have served in the military.) Honoring fallen soldiers reminds us of the sacrifices made to protect the freedoms we experience. It’s an excellent time to talk with children about the meaning of courage, confidence, and convictions and the importance of service to others. 

Plan a Patriotic Picnic

Since Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial start of summer, a picnic can be an ideal setting. Depending on where you live, you could picnic in a park, at a local memorial site, or even in your backyard with delicious, easy-to-make portable dishes like: 

• Tasty Toasted Portobello Ruben Sammies
• Red, White, and Blue Fruit Parfaits
• Classic Pink Lemonade

As you enjoy your Memorial Day picnic, discuss how the values and lessons from Memorial Day can be applied to your own lives. Here are some questions to spark conversation:

• How can remembering the people who protected our country help us to be better people?
• What does being brave mean to you? How can you be brave every day?
• What are some ways we can thank veterans in our community?

For a meaningful conclusion to your Memorial Day celebration consider a moment of silence and reflection. 

Happy Memorial Day from all of us at Sticky Fingers Cooking!

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