Open the pool, fire-up the grill, it’s a three day weekend with a parade, the unofficial start of summer!

I wonder how many parents will take the time to explain to their children what Memorial Day is all about. For that matter, I wonder how many Adult Americans understand why we have a Memorial Day in this country.

Simply put, Memorial Day, which was originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died and sacrificed, in our nation’s service. Unfortunately, when Congress made Memorial day into a mandatory three-day weekend with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363), it made it all the easier for us to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. To help gain some of the meaning back, The “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to ‘Taps.”

So is Memorial Day a holiday? Actually it’s a day to reflect and remember those who have died for our freedom. So if you ask me, all of the other days in the year are “holidays” thanks to the men and women who gave it all for us.