Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The Surprising Facts About Memorial Day

Before long it will be Memorial Day and we hope you have a great time.
This year Memorial Day will be observed on the day's actual, traditional observance day, May 30.
This year, we hope that you take time to remember those who have protected us and who have made (and continue to make) our freedom possible.
Now, let's get to the business at hand:
1) Not everyone will spend the long weekend at the Jersey shore. The media would have you believe that everyone is headed to the shore but that's just an easy way for the media to not report real stories over the weekend while at the same time nurturing the myth of the Great Shore Exodus. In fact, people enjoy the weekend in many different ways at many different places. We know we do -- and will.
2) Summer doesn't begin on Memorial Day. Summer begins on June 21, the summer solstice. And summer doesn't end on Labor Day. Summer ends on September 22 when autumn begins. The media and the travel industry concocted the idea that summer lasts from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It doesn't.
3) As we noted, Memorial Day is actually May 30. Congress changed the day around to make it a three-day weekend in another attempt to rob a fine holiday of its true meaning. Leave it to the government to mess things up.
4) Memorial Day didn't become Memorial Day until 1966 when President Johnson officially renamed it. Prior to that it was widely known as Decoration Day - the day when Americans decorated the graves of the fallen.
5) The artificial boundaries of Memorial Day and Labor Day mean absolutely nothing even though many people perceive these boundaries to coincide with the school year. Most children go to school well past Memorial Day. Many children (particularly in southern states) return to school well before Labor Day. Others return several days after Labor Day.
6) This year Memorial Day is as early as it can be and Labor Day is as late as it can be. So, the stretch between the two is longer than usual -- good news for vacation and travel vendors.
But, remember: Memorial Day isn't when people say it is. The summer hasn't begun - yet. It won't end on Labor Day. Many people will get through the whole summer without ever going to the Jersey shore. They will have a wonderful time nonetheless.
The Memorial Day and Labor Day boundaries are totally imaginary.
So, there you have it.
Enjoy what's left of spring.
Then, enjoy summer all the way through till September 22.
In fact, enjoy each day as a blessed gift. Savor every day, no matter the season.
Don't be cheated.

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